During a pre-election rally in Split, Plenković reminded the audience that “the government of Croatia is constantly assisting the friendly Ukrainian nation, which is suffering due to Russian aggression.” He added, “This aggression is worse than Serbia’s attack on Croatia, and President Milanović, with his irresponsible and unprincipled politics, is pushing Croatia and the Croatian people into the ‘Russian World’,” as stated by the leader of HDZ.

Since the onset of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, President Milanović has consistently expressed opposition to the support provided by Zagreb to Kyiv. Among other things, the Croatian president has opposed sending any weapons to Ukraine because, in his view, it only prolongs the war with Russia.

“From 2014 to 2022, we observed how someone was constantly provoking Russia to start a war. The war eventually broke out,” Milanović commented on the onset of the Russian invasion. He had previously assessed, “NATO and the USA are conducting a proxy war in Ukraine,” and stated that training Ukrainian soldiers “equates to participating in the war.”

To date, Croatia has provided Ukraine with military aid valued at EUR 181 million, as per information from the Ministry of Defense in Zagreb. Additionally, Ukraine has been offered support in demining the country and prosecuting war criminals, underscoring Croatia’s expertise in these areas, which was acquired following the war in the 90s during the dissolution of Yugoslavia.

The elections for the 151-member unicameral parliament of Croatia are scheduled to take place on Wednesday. The latest pre-election poll conducted by Promocija Plus indicates that the ruling HDZ is projected to win 60 seats. The center-left coalition, Rivers of Justice, led by the Social Democratic Party of Croatia, is expected to secure 44 seats, while the Homeland Movement is predicted to obtain 14 seats in the parliament. The left-wing movement, We Can!, and the Most list are each anticipated to garner nine seats.