Croatian elections: President Milanović leads but is not Ukraine-friendly

She discussed this during a broadcast on Espreso TV.

"There are several candidates today—8 to be exact. However, current President Zoran Milanović is currently leading. Unfortunately, he is not a good candidate for Ukraine as he does not support Ukraine and has made rather pro-Russian statements. That said, the situation could still change. For example, in neighboring countries, recent elections showed how social media can impact outcomes. Candidates who initially seemed unlikely to win, like in Romania, can suddenly emerge as frontrunners," Heletii explained.

Heletii added that a likely opponent for Milanović in the second round could be Dragan Primorac, a representative of the Croatian prime minister’s party, which supports Ukraine.

"This means that the other candidate, who is more pro-European and expected to be more pro-Ukrainian, might advance to the second round. He comes from the party of the current prime minister, who has been quite supportive of Ukraine, especially during this challenging time. Another notable candidate is Marija Selak Raspudić, an independent right-centrist. However, it's unclear whether she has a chance. Polls currently show Milanović as the favorite to win," she stated.

Milanović’s Stance on Ukraine

On November 23, 2022, Zoran Milanović refused to allow Croatian troops to participate in the EU training mission for Ukraine.

On January 25, 2022, Milanović declared that Ukraine does not belong in NATO and that Croatia would distance itself from any escalation involving Russia.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine deemed Milanović’s statements on NATO membership and the Revolution of Dignity unacceptable and demanded a public retraction.

On January 29, 2022, Milanović reiterated that Ukraine is the most corrupt country and has no place in NATO.

On December 20, 2022, he stated that Ukraine unfairly received EU candidate status.

On January 30, 2023, he declared that Crimea would never return to Ukraine and urged Europe not to escalate the war with Russia, calling it a "superpower."

On May 31, 2023, Milanović compared the slogan "Glory to Ukraine" to slogans used by the Croatian Ustaše, an extreme right-wing group from World War II.

The Constitutional Court of Croatia ruled that Milanović cannot participate in electoral campaigns, run on a party list, or seek the prime minister’s office without resigning from his current role as president.