Zagreb and Belgrade at Each Other’s Throats Again, as Croatian FM Calls Serbian President a ‘Russian Satellite’

 

With the fall of the Berlin wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union, all Eastern Europe went into a troubled period, and arguably the disintegration of Yugoslavia was the most traumatic process, with a series of wars raging from 1991 to 2001.

In the end, six independent countries emerged from Yugoslavia: Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, and North Macedonia.

Serbia and Croatia, specially, have forever remained in seemingly unfriendly terms.

The latest diplomatic spat is ongoing after Croatia’s foreign minister described Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić as a Russian ‘satellite’ in the Balkans. 

Serbia sent a protest note, leaving the two neighbors, at odds yet again.

Associated Press reported:

“Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman told N1 television on Saturday that Vučić must decide which side he is on, Russia or the European Union, “because it is impossible and uncomfortable sitting on two chairs at the same time.”

‘He shouldn’t have a big dilemma’, Grlić Radman said, saying that Vučić can remain Moscow’s ally but ‘malign’ Russian influence that could undermine the stability of the Western Balkans will not be allowed.”

Authorities and officials in Serbia reacted with the usual anger.

“’The Croatian minister not only brutally interferes in the internal affairs of Serbia, but as usual he lies and insults the Serbian people and threatens its citizens’, Vučić said on Instagram.

‘Grlić Radman is right about one thing, maybe I am someone’s satellite… but I have never been anyone’s servant, which cannot be said for Grlić Radman’.”

Grlić Radman appears to try to kiss German FM Baerbok on the mouth during EU Summit.

The Croatian Foreign Minister is himself prone to putting himself into controversies, as back in November, when he gave a polemic kiss almost on the mouth of German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in the middle of posing with many other ministers during the EU Summit.

The Serbian Foreign Ministry expects that in the future, Croatian officials ‘will refrain from statements that represent interference in the internal affairs of Serbia, and will lead a policy of reconciliation and good-neighborly relations between the two states’.

“Reacting to the protest note, the Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs rejected the allegation that Croatia is interfering in Serbia’s internal matters, pointing out that the Croatian official ‘stated the fact about Serbia’s nonalignment with the foreign and security policy of the European Union regarding the Russian aggression against Ukraine’.”

Vučić’s government has maintained close ties with Moscow despite Serbia’s formal bid to join the European Union.

Serbia has not joined Western sanctions or censored Russian media.

Croatia, an EU and NATO member, has been involved in a series of disputes with Serbia in recent years.

They have also been involved in as arms race that could escalate the tensions in the region.