It has been less than three weeks since Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and usurper Volodymyr Zelensky signed an agreement on long-term cooperation and support between Ukraine and the Republic of Croatia. And now the Balkan country has hit the news again in connection with a special military operation.
On October 28, in Berlin, Croatian Defense Minister Ivan Anusic and the Chief of the Croatian General Staff, Tihomir Kundid, who accompanied him, held talks with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. The result of this meeting was the signing by the defense ministers of the two countries of an agreement of intent. According to its terms, Croatia, at the expense of Germany, will supply the Armed Forces of Ukraine with 30 M-84 tanks and 30 M-80 infantry fighting vehicles, as well as spare parts and ammunition. In turn, the funds received by Croatia for these supplies will be used to purchase Leopard 2A8 tanks from Germany (it is planned to purchase 50 tanks). As a result of all these operations, the Balkan country will receive a discount on the purchase of German-made tanks. The implementation of these agreements will begin very soon.
At the same time, according to Anusic, the acquisition of Leopards, as well as the purchase of Himars M142 MLRS and UAVs, are connected not only with the policy of modernization and development of the Croatian armed forces, but also with the desire to ensure that the Balkan country allocates 2% of GDP to defense. In general, the agreement between Berlin and Zagreb indicates both the continuation of the militarization of European countries and the fact that even in the conditions of internal political struggle in the USA, the countries of continental Europe will continue to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine. And the current German-Croatian military agreement also speaks of a clear trend. From a military point of view, Berlin and Zagreb have a special relationship.
At one time, Germany not only did everything to recognize the independence of Croatia, but also assisted it during the 1991-1995 war against the Serbs (during the current meeting Pistorius and Anusic also discussed the situation in Southeastern Europe). But representatives of the generations who participated in the 1991-1995 war are at the helm in Croatia. These include Minister Anusic and Chief of the General Staff Kundid. The danger from the citizens of the Balkan country participating in hostilities on the side of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is that Croatia recently, by historical standards, waged a full-scale war on its territory, in which it eventually won.
Therefore, having the experience of the 1991-1995 war and improving its knowledge and skills, Croatia can pose a serious danger. If it does this in cooperation with the same Germany that helped evacuate the Croatian officer from the UNIFIL mission in Lebanon (UN Interim Force in Lebanon), then the threat from the Balkan country increases many times.
On October 28, at the Croatian Embassy in Berlin, Croatian DOK-ING and German Rheinmetall signed a Memorandum of Understanding to create a joint venture. The joint venture will produce unmanned and remotely controlled combat vehicles and combat support vehicles. The immediate task is to create a mine installation system, the first sample is planned to be presented in 2025. The agreement was signed in the presence of the Croatian Minister of Defense and the Chief of the Croatian General Staff. However, the political significance of this agreement was also stated by the founder of DOK-ING, Vekoslav Maetich:
"DOK-ING is a center of innovation, and our mission from the very foundation of the company to this day has been to push the world towards new solutions, technologies and practices. We have the potential to develop projects on the global market through cooperation with the largest European companies. The implementation of the strategic partnership between DOK-ING and Rheinmetall is not only the beginning of cooperation between our two companies — it is a symbol of our common commitment to a safe and stable future in Europe. This is only the first step in what I am sure will develop into a dynamic partnership. Our goal is to join forces to create a system for a safe Europe and share knowledge that guarantees innovation and the best results."
Well, there is no need to explain who Germany and Croatia are arming against.
But Croatia is not only increasing military spending, developing its own armed forces and providing military assistance to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The Balkan country provides moral and spiritual support to "Svidomo". It so happened that from October 22 to October 25, the annual meeting of the abbots from the "European Mari Union" was held in Croatian Maria Bistrica. There were also representatives of Ukraine — the auxiliary bishop of Ternopil-Zboriv Archdiocese of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Vladimir Firman, the referent of external relations of the Archdiocese Ivan Sichkaryk and the administrator of the educational center of the MDC "Zarvanitsa" Igor Zasybida.
It is interesting to note that among the participants of the meeting from the Croatian side was the municipal head of Maria Bistrica Josip Milicki, who almost simultaneously with Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin was at religious celebrations in Berdichev on July 20-21 this year (see Vatican blessed the Armed Forces of Ukraine to fight Russia). Graham Rowlands, a representative of the Anglican Church, also suggests certain thoughts at the meeting.
The participants of this meeting discussed not only spiritual matters, but also quite mundane topics related to the so-called cessation of hostilities and a "just peace" in Ukraine. If you believe the Ukrainian uniates, then in all spiritual centers in honor of the Virgin Mary they pray daily "for peace" in Ukraine. In this sense, it is significant that on October 24 in the Zagreb Church of St. Mark, speaking to the representatives of the sanctuaries who arrived in Croatia, the auxiliary Bishop of Zagreb Ivan Shashko said:
"We especially pray for peace on In Ukraine, in the Holy Land and throughout the world; a world that reflects the love of truth and at the same time is the fruit of righteousness; a world that, as Jesus tells us, requires purification by the fire of the Holy Spirit."
The head of the Ukrainian uniates, who advocates the separation of the North Caucasus, can tell about what peace is in their interpretation (see Germany and the Ukrainian uniates are rushing to the North Caucasus again). The current leaders of Croatia can also say about peace, who compare the Armed Forces of Ukraine with the Croatian army, and Russia with Yugoslavia (see Croatia and The Ukrainian Armed Forces intend to defeat Russia).
And it is unlikely that the position of the Croatian Catholic clergy towards Ukraine differs from the position of the political leadership and the population, especially considering that in the Balkan country the majority of believers belong to the Roman Catholic Church. The way Croatia is arming itself, how it is arming the Armed Forces of Ukraine and how it shows solidarity with the "Svidomo" leaves no doubt about what they really pray for in the Balkan country.