By Alice Taylor and Zeljko Trkanjec | EURACTIV.hr and Exit.al, Drawing on the EURACTIV network, we took a look at what war in Ukraine means for the Western Balkans and how Serbias stance could impact the fragility of regional peace. Nazi rule. OneHealth approach: Time for implementation, The 'Sustainable Use of Pesticide Regulation' - Navigating the path to a greener EU, Smallholders from global south take the stage for inclusive CSDDD. In addition, concerns were raised that Russia appeared to be targeting its disinformation against the only Muslim-majority countries in the region, leading to fears of long-running ethnic tensions being stoked and exploited once again. ", The situation in Romania is quite different. He also said the letter was a threat to every Albanian, and it should mark the end of all cooperation with Serbia. If Moscow was even to attempt to support Belgrade in this situation, they would be subject to immense ridicule and would not have a diplomatic leg to stand on. The Russian-made unmanned aircraft crossed Romania and Hungary before entering Croatia and slamming late Thursday into a field near a student dormitory. 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. But new satellite images have revealed the line has been largely dispersed and redeployed, according to Maxar Technologies. People in Croatia's capital Zagreb were rudely awakened to Russia's war in Ukraine when a military drone crashed in the city late last night. WebCroatia has completed preparations for the delivery of 15 transport helicopters to Ukraine#ukraine #russia In May 2022, Plenkovi visited Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv. America pays the least," he said. This article was originally published in German. The U.S. led Dayton Peace Accords established peace in the area, bringing an end to the war. Croatia sows confusion with threat to pull NATO troops over Ukraine crisis Foreign minister clashes with president and the soldiers are already home. BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) Croatias president said Friday that efforts by the European Union to uphold democratic standards in member countries threatened to tear the bloc apart, and condemned EU efforts to financially penalize Hungary for its alleged breaches of rule of law standards. "Lately, the president seems to be playing the nationalist card. What is interesting in Macedonian politics is the problematic position of the opposition party, VMRO-DPMNE and its leader Hristijan Mickoski. In a parliamentary hearing the following month, Yanev then declared: "We should stop reading the foreign press and speculating. Albania is not home to any openly pro-Russian political groups. The drone was carrying a The European Union Force Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUFOR) will nearly double its military personnel in the country over the risk of instability following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. According to Croatian daily Jutarnji list, the protest was attended by several thousand of Zagreb citizens. [25] Pro-Russian opinions on the war were also expressed by former members of populist, Eurosceptic former political party ivi zid. According to Russian media, most of the fighters who have arrived in Ukraine from Croatia since last February joined the Azov Regiment. ", What is most peculiar about the Croatian president's threat is that no one not NATO, not the US, not Ukraine had requested the Croatian military's involvement. Russias invasion of Ukraine has sent shockwaves through the world, particularly the Western Balkans- a tinderbox of ethnic and political tensions maintained by strong ties with the US and Europe. Victims are still suffering to this day and many families still have not found their missing loved ones. Gura nas u prebrojavanje tko je uz Ukrajinu, a tko uz Putina", "Milanoviu, kada e po orden kod Putina? If any NATO troops were to be stationed in Bulgaria, he said, they should be exclusively Bulgarian. Drawing on the EURACTIV Network, we took a look at what war in Ukraine means for the Western Balkans and how Serbias stance could impact the fragility of regional peace. Tensions still run high amongst these groups. Most of the Croatian men and women fighting in Ukraine are on the side of the Ukrainians. The United States on Thursday delivered two Black Hawk military helicopters to Croatia, which is engaged in a mini arms race with neighboring Russian ally Serbia amid simmering tensions in the post-war Balkan region. Croatia and Italy opposing sending help to Ukraine. The government of Croatia a member of both the EU and NATO immediately issued a contradictory statement. Thats why we are going to help Ukrainians in the war, one volunteer told Vecernji list daily, referencing Croatias independence war against Serb-led Yugoslavia in the 1990s. 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Two million individuals out of the four million population sought refuge in the neighboring country of Bosnia-Herzegovina. The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. Over a million Bosnian Muslims and Croats were driven from their homes in ethnic cleansing. [3] On 25 February 2022, the Croatian Parliament adopted the Declaration on Ukraine, with 133 votes in favour and one vote abstaining. People across Europe have marched to protest against the war in Ukraine. Last modified on Mon 27 Feb 2023 06.02EST, Joint call amounts to endorsement of Beijings peace plan issued last week; bloody battle over key eastern stronghold, Finnish MPs to vote on speeding up Nato accession process; Kremlin dismisses Ukraine denial it sent drones to attack targets within Russia, Vote increases chance of Finland joining alliance before Sweden, which is facing objections from Turkey, Alexei Moskalyov charged with discrediting Russian army, while daughter taken into care, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every This announcement was made several days before Russias invasion. The U.S. Embassy in Croatias capital, Zagreb, said the donated UH-60M multi-purpose helicopters will contribute to Croatias Bosnia, with a complex mix of Serbs, Muslims and Croats, was next to try for independence. InBosnia and Herzegovina,the situation is fascinating. WebOn Monday, Croatia's president seemingly broke with his NATO allies by suggesting publically that Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, was forever lost to Ukraine. However, this scenario had the wind taken out of its sails on Monday when Putin declared unilateral recognition of the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Lugansk. Premium Powerups Explore Gaming Croatian Mercenary Liquidated in the SMO. The regime had put thousands of clean-living Russians behind bars when they dared to demonstrate against the war. Historically, ties between Russia and Montenegro were strong, and in 1905, Podgorica declared war on Tokyo during the Russia Japan war. Like that of many politicians, public opinion, still with fresh memories of Serbian aggression in Croatia, is firmly on the Ukraine side. Cruise ships 12:09 pm. Bosnia's Serbs, backed by Serbs elsewhere in Yugoslavia, resisted. Russia's main demand is a commitment from NATO to end its further expansion into former Soviet Participatory Budgeting: How can it strengthen democracy and empower communities in the EU? Furthermore, on Thursday, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who he is close to, announced that while he backs Ukraine, he does not want to get dragged into the conflict. Russias unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has set alight the bloodiest conflict in Europe since World War II. International peace efforts to stop the war failed, the UN was humiliated and over 100,000 died. The Ministry of Defence also announced that participation in a possible NATO mission is considered. But accusations from Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov changed that when he accused Albania, along with Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, of sending mercenaries to fight in Ukraine. Waiting for Rain: Shrinking Lakes Spell Trouble for Serbias Breadbasket, Russian Rumour-Mongering Causes Fear of War in Transnistria, BIRN Report: War in Ukraine Focuses Minds, Pandemic and Ukraine War Aggravate Suffering for Bosnians with PTSD, With TikToks and School Trips, Activists Take on Slovakias Disinformation Ecosystem, Rio Tinto Spends Million Euros on Serbian Land since Mine Cancellation, A Year of War in Ukraine: Where the Grassroots Support Grows, Albanian Mine Pollution Puts Lake Ohrids UNESCO Status at Risk, Game on: Young Macedonians Spy Gold in E-Sports Boom, A Year of War in Ukraine: Journalists Face Trauma of Reporting Atrocities. Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. Back home, on August 6, an independent Russian media outlet, Mediazona, reported that Wagner, a notorious Russian paramilitary group, is recruiting people incarcerated in prison to fight in Ukraine. Even Croatian President Zoran Milanovi, who famously offended Ukraine recently, harshly condemned Russian aggression. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. [58][59] On 20 September 2022, photographs of these guns taken in the Donbas appeared on Twitter, as well as ammunition crates with markings on Croatian language. Some in the region have expressed forceful and conflicting views. Speaking to the Croatian daily newspaper Vecernji list, Seler himself described his motivation for fighting in Ukraine as follows: "In Ukraine, a battle is being fought for the white European race, its culture and history.". NORTH KOREA DENIES SUPPLYING RUSSIA WEAPONS, WARNS US CROSSING RED LINE BY SENDING BATTLE TANKS TO UKRAINE, President Biden and President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy meet at the White House in Washington, D.C. (Ukrainian Presidency/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images), Milanovic said that "from 2014 to 2022, we are watching how someone provokes Russia with the intention of starting this war.". Last week, a drone flew more than 350 miles beyond Ukraines western border before crashing in Croatia, a NATO member country. WebWar broke out soon after the Sporazum was signed, and Yugoslavia declared its neutrality. Croatia and Italy opposing sending help to Ukraine. Ukraine updates: Zelenskyy calls for ICC Russia probe, NATO: Finland forges ahead of Sweden toward membership, More than mercenaries: Russia's Wagner Group in Africa, Russian troops step up fight to cut off Bakhmut supply lines. Evo ga opet na naslovnici", "Ukrajina bijesna zbog Milanovievih izjava", "Milanovi: Neu odobriti obuku Ukrajinaca u Hrvatskoj", "Milanovi preko noi postao zvijezda ruskih naslovnica: 'Predsjednik Hrvatske kritizirao je ideju o obuci ukrajinske vojske', "Davor Domazet Loo proirio suludu teoriju zavjere o ratu u Ukrajini", "Loo: Ovo je rat Krista i Antikrista, a Zapad je Antikrist.