The heads of state in the Balkans are worried about a further expansion in the fighting. Zoran Milanovic reiterated his criticism of the Zagreb government over the decision to help Kyiv with helicopters. Commenting on the arrest warrant issued against Russian President Vladimir Putin, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that the decision would have bad repercussions and also shows that there is no will for a peaceful settlement.

Milanovic: „This will lead to mass massacre”

The country helping Ukraine with military equipment cannot lead anywhere but will prolong the war and cause massive bloodshed, according to the president of the Republic of Croatia. Zoran Milanovic made the statement in response to the Croat government’s decision to help Kyiv with helicopters.

Photo: Croatia’s president

„Sending helicopters will only lead to mass slaughter and death, prolonging the fighting,”

the politician said.

He added that the transfer of helicopters poses no difficulty for Croatia, as the remaining stockpiles are more than enough to cover the needs of the country and its military. Mr Milanovic noted, however, that the government can decide about equipment but not about personnel, since only the president of the republic, as commander-in-chief of the military, has the power to make such a decision.

Vucic: „We must expect consequences measurable in human lives”

The president of neighbouring Serbia also fears that the fighting in Ukraine will be protracted. Aleksandar Vucic shared his opinion following the issuance of the arrest warrant against President Putin. He said it was clear that the West aims to make communication more difficult for Putin by making sure that everyone who talks to him is aware that he is accused of war crimes.

Photo: Facebook

At the same time, he called it a decision which could entail serious political consequences, which will be measured in human lives.

“This warrant also proves that there is no intention for a peaceful settlement,” he said.

„Who are you going to talk to now” about peace, or whether such an intention even existed, he asked.

The Serbian president also responded to people who drew parallels between the Western pressure against Putin and the case of former Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic. Mr Vucic called the analogy distorted, arguing that Milosevic was the leader of a small country, while Putin is the leader of a great power.

„Do you really think that it is possible to defeat Russia in a month, three months or a year?”, Mr Vucic added.

When asked what Serbia would do if Putin visited Serbia, he said it was a pointless question, because it is clear that as long as the conflict continues, Putin will not travel to Serbia.

“I’ve never made any arrests requested by the International Criminal Tribunal in the Hague, and that’s not the International Criminal Court,” he added.

Serbia is a signatory to the Rome Statute that established the International Criminal Court. Signatories are required to arrest and extradite those wanted by the ICC. That is, if Putin entered the territory of Serbia, it would be obliged to arrest him so that he could be put on trial. However,

„we have more important things to do at the moment,” Serbia’s president has stressed.