ZAGREB, 5 March 2022 - The Russian aggression against Ukraine is certainly a blow to the UN's authority, Croatia's Ambassador to the UN, Ivan Šimonović, said on Saturday, noting that Moldova could be Russia's next target.

"The question is who guards the guardians? If permanent members of the Security Council are guardians of peace and security, who will protect us from them when they violate peace and security?" Šimonović asked in an interview with Croatian Radio.

He ruled out the possibility of the UN sending peace troops to Ukraine, which can be done if requested by one of the warring parties, which Šimonović described as improbable, or by a decision of the Security Council.

"But Russia has the right of veto there and we are again back to square one," he added.

The UN General Assembly on Wednesday adopted a resolution asking that Russia immediately stop using force in Ukraine.

Šimonović, a former Assistant UN Secretary-General for human rights, said that was the only way to exert pressure on Russia because in the General Assembly it does not have the right of veto.

Clear legal terminology was used, the operation involving the Russian Federation, and Belarus as an accomplice, was called aggression, and aggression is crime. Russia is becoming more and more isolated, said Šimonović.

The General Assembly resolution, however, does not have direct legal consequences.

"Only Security Council resolutions adopted under Chapter VII are legally binding and force may also be used to implement them," he said, adding that the steps the UN can take at the moment are very limited.

Everyone loses

The diplomat called the invasion of Ukraine a situation in which everyone loses.

"The consequences for Ukraine - from the loss of human lives to material destruction - are already very bad, and what could follow - urban warfare - would be a disaster of epic proportions," he said.

"That is a tragedy for Russia in terms of how much its economy will be affected, isolated and left to the mercy of China, which is its sole orientation," Šimonović said, adding that China, too, would distance itself from Russia if it was left isolated by the rest of the world.

Croatia, too, will be affected in terms of its tourism industry, and since it is part of Europe, where energy prices will go up, its citizens will feel the consequences of the Russian invasion as a drop in living standards, Šimonović believes.

Moldova next possible target

The Russian Defence Ministry said on Saturday that civilians would be able to leave the port city of Mariupol through a humanitarian corridor to be open for five hours, which Šimonović called "the only positive contribution of the negotiations" that "would alleviate the suffering of people at least to some extent."

Šimonović also mentioned Moldova as the next possible target of Russian aggression.

"The south wing of the Russian attack that now goes in the direction of Mykolaiv and Odessa could also be going in the direction of Transnistria, that is, occupied areas of Moldova controlled by pro-Russian forces," said Šimonović.

"Quite certainly Moldova is not sleeping peacefully either," he concluded

ZAGREB, 5 March (Hina) - More than 1,500 Ukrainian refugees arrived in Croatia by 7 a.m. Saturday, sources at the Red Cross Croatia (HCK) said.

The primary place of accommodation for the refugees is Motel Plitvice in Zagreb, but it has been filled to capacity and the refugees are now provided with accommodation at the Rakitje Hostel, Croatian Television said on Saturday.

Many of the refugees are deciding to stay at Motel Plitvice because they do not have any alternative plan.

HCK spokeswoman Katarina Zorić told Croatian Television that 119 Ukrainian refugees had found accommodation in Zagreb, 34 in Varaždin and 18 in Osijek.

Other reception locations are being considered as well, she said.

"The circumstances are horrible, but everyone has been putting a lot of effort into this, many do not know where to go, while some have found temporary accommodation. They are afraid to leave because they do not know their status, and here they will be able to obtain information faster and more easily. The refugees are mostly women and children, and there is among them a father with five children. Those who have three or more children are allowed to leave Ukraine," Zorić said.

Even though the refugees accommodated at Motel Plitvice have everything they need, citizens are coming and delivering aid, she said.

To help them think less about the tragedy in Ukraine, the refugee children will today be taken to the Zagreb Zoo.

Red Cross Croatia team visiting Ukraine, Romania, Hungary 

This weekend a team of the Red Cross Croatia is visiting Ukraine, Romania and Hungary, touring, with colleagues from those countries and members of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), border crossings and preparing for the establishment of a major logistic centre in Ukraine.

The centre should facilitate the reception of humanitarian aid that has been arriving from all over the world, HCK said.

ZAGREB, 4 March (2022) - The Sabor has included on its agenda a motion regarding the deployment of 70 Croatian troops as part of NATO's enhanced forward presence in Hungary.

The parliament also put on its agenda the motion for up to five Croatian Armed Forces' members in the European Union's Cyber Rapid Response Teams (CRRTs).

Lawmakers are expected to debate the motions next week.

The government made a recommendation to the Sabor on Thursday for Croatian troops to participate in the forward presence mission.

Defence Minister Mario Banožić has said that a NATO meeting of defence ministers in February and an extraordinary NATO summit determined that the current situation in Eastern Europe and particularly in Ukraine represents one of the gravest threats to European security in the past decade, adding that all NATO members are dedicated to continuing diplomatic efforts to find a peaceful solution.

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 1 March 2022 - The Civil Protection Logistics Centre is sending five semi-trailer trucks with humanitarian aid and equipment declared by Ukraine as necessary, Tomislav Marević of the Croatian Civil Protection Directorate said in Jastrebarsko on Tuesday.

The trucks will carry medical equipment for the wounded and the sick, blankets, beds and other necessities.

Marević said there would be more trucks with humanitarian aid for Ukraine.

The five trucks will bring the relief to logistics centres on the Hungarian-Ukrainian border, where "corridors will open for delivery into the interior of the country," he added.

The convoy will be escorted by the Civil Protection Directorate so that it's clear that it's a relief convoy, and the drive is expected to last 24 hours, Marević said.

ZAGREB, 1 March 2022 - Osijek City authorities have proposed to the Kyiv Zoo that its animals could be transferred to and accepted in the Osijek Zoo, the mayor of the eastern Croatian city, Ivan Radić, said on Tuesday.

Radić held a meeting with the "Lesja Ukrajinka" association of ethnic Ukrainians in eastern Croatia and they visited the reception centre the city has prepared for Ukrainian refugees.

There are three families with 16 members in the centre already and they have been registered to be assigned refugee status. They are currently being accommodated with their friends in Osijek's suburb of Tenja and in Vukovar-Srijem County.

Earlier in the day, another family with three children also arrived in Osijek, and once they are registered they will travel to Požega to be accommodated with their friends.

Osijek residents have expressed their willingness to accept refugees, and hotels and hostels have also made their capacities available for the reception of refugees, the mayor said.

Representatives of the Osijek Public Transport company (GPP) are in contact with the Red Cross to send the company's vehicles to the border to transport Ukrainian refugees to Osijek, if necessary.

Ukrainians will be able to use Osijek public transport services free of charge.

We want the war to end and we wish Ukrainians outside their homeland to be able to return to their homes as soon as possible, said Radić.

The head of the association, Oksana Martinjuk, thanked the local authorities for their great support and aid.

ZAGREB, 1 March 2022 - Croatian President Zoran Milanović has supported Ukraine's EU membership application and recommended granting membership candidate status to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo and opening accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia, the President's Office said on Tuesday.

"President Milanović believes that Ukraine should be granted EU membership candidate status as soon as possible," a statement said.

Milanović thus supported the initiative by eight European Union member states that had called for Ukraine to be granted candidate status.

"Ukraine is being subjected to aggression by the Russian Federation and we all need to provide it with the necessary assistance, just as we would have expected assistance in a similar situation," the Croatian president said.

"Croatia is not forgetting that Ukraine was among the first internationally recognised countries to recognise Croatia and was among the first to come to our aid," he added.

Milanović said that the fast-track integration of Ukraine into the European Union was one of the ways to stop the war and prevent it from spreading in Europe.

On Monday, the presidents of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia said in an open letter that Ukraine "deserves receiving an immediate EU accession perspective."

"We call on the member states to consolidate the strongest political support for Ukraine and to allow the EU institutions to take steps to immediately grant Ukraine candidate status and open the negotiation process," the letter said.

Support for Western Balkan countries, Serbia should decide

Milanović said that everything should be done to prevent the Ukraine crisis from spilling over to the Western Balkans and affecting Croatia and its neighbours.

He said it was in Croatia's strategic and national interests for the Western Balkan countries which had demonstrated their readiness and intent to join the Union. 

Milanović proposed to the signatories of the open letter to also demand membership candidate status for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo and recommended immediately opening accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania, which already have candidate status.

The Croatian president also said that talks with Montenegro should be stepped up, while Serbia, "at this critical moment for peace in Europe, should decide whether it really wants membership or not and conduct its policy accordingly. The EU must let it know that this is a moment of decision."

ZAGREB, 1 March 2022 - Minister of the Interior Davor Božinović said on Tuesday that due to the escalation of the war in Ukraine even larger waves of Ukrainian refugees were expected, with UNHCR estimating that around 4-5 million refugees could arrive in the EU.

"Most of the refugees who are arriving are being provided with accommodation by their relatives and friends. Judging by the situation on Ukraine's borders with its neighbours Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania, the numbers are growing. We are also preparing for a meeting of the Council of Home Affairs Ministers, to be held on Thursday," Božinović said in Jastrebarsko near Zagreb, at an event marking World Civil Defence Day.

The minister said the ministerial meeting in Brussels would discuss the coordination of the EU in the Ukraine crisis.

"Larger refugee waves are expected. According to some UNHCR estimates, 4-5 million people could arrive in the EU. Around eight million internally displaced. The war is still going on. At the moment it is difficult to predict that the fighting and aggression on Ukraine will end soon," Božinović said.

He stressed that Croatia would organise itself so it can do its best in the interest of people in need.

Asked how many refugees Croatia could take in, the minister said it was difficult to speak about specific figures.

"Croatia will respond in the best way possible. I can see some countries are mentioning specific figures, not many are doing so, the situation is such that whatever we say today may become irrelevant tomorrow," he said, noting that Croatia has plans for thousands, tens of thousands and possibly hundreds of thousands of refugees.

Noting that Red Cross Croatia and the Civil Protection Directorate would be in charge of coordinating the process, Božinović said that many citizens were coming forward and offering help in providing accommodation for the refugees, while he advised them to contact the competent authorities.

Božinović said that a decision had already been made to send humanitarian aid but noted that the most important thing is how neighbouring countries where logistical centres would be set up, are organised.

"This primarily refers to Poland, and I guess also to Slovakia, from where the collected aid will be sent to people in Ukraine who need it. A European response is critical. How much aid will be necessary depends on the needs. Some neighbouring countries are also already in need of aid because they are faced with a major influx of refugees," he stressed.

He reported that Croatia had been contacted by Moldova and that certain decisions would be made soon in that regard.

"More than 50,000 refugees have arrived in that country so far, the country's economic situation is such that it can hardly cope with such a large influx of refugees on its own. In any case, this is a crisis in terms of armed conflict, aggression and war, but this is also a humanitarian crisis of a scope not seen since World War II," said Božinović.

ZAGREB, 1 March 2022 - Zagreb Archbishop Josip Bozanić said in Sisak on Tuesday that one should not stop praying for peace in Ukraine and the whole world.

Speaking at a session of the Zagreb ecclesiastical province at the offices of the Sisak Diocese, Bozanić said the Church was ready to help and take in refugees from Ukraine who were forced to flee their country.

We will provide assistance through the Caritas charity, which is an important segment of the Church, he said.

"It is not difficult for us to understand the situation in Ukraine, that is why we are ready to do everything we can."

"We are joining in Pope Francis' call to pray together and fast for peace in the province and the entire world. Ash Wednesday will be observed in that spirit and many bishops have decided to do so throughout Lent. We must not stop praying for peace. We want what is going on in Ukraine to end as soon as possible even though we cannot predict future developments, but we will do all we can in the spiritual, material and human sense," Cardinal Bozanić said.

ZAGREB, 1 March 2022 - The government has not proposed nor has President Zoran Milanović ordered raising the level of preparedness of the Croatian Armed Forces, the Office of the President said in a statement on Tuesday, stressing that the current security situation in Croatia does not require raising the level of the army's readiness.

"The President of the Republic is in close contact with the commanders of the Croatian Armed Forces and the chiefs of security and intelligence. The current security situation in Croatia does not require raising the level of preparedness of the Croatian Armed Forces. The government has not proposed and President Zoran Milanović has not ordered raising the level of preparedness of the Croatian Armed Forces," the Office of the President said.

Under the Defence Act, orders putting the Croatian Armed Forces on alert are issued by the President of the Republic following a proposal to such effect by the government.

The Office of the President issued its statement after Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Monday night made a statement about Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

"In order to provide the public with accurate information and avoid alarming Croatian citizens, the Office of the President considers it necessary to comment on the statement by Prime Minister Andrej Plenković who said last night that 'the Croatian Army has raised the level of preparedness from the usual level,'" the Office of the President said.

Under the Defence Act, putting the army on alert implies mobilisation, organisation, security and other measures and procedures necessary to prevent and remove a threat of attack on Croatia and other threats to the country's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, its citizens and property, the President's Office said.

ZAGREB, 1 March 2022 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković will submit a report on the situation in Ukraine to the Croatian parliament on Wednesday.

The report comes after Russia mounted a military invasion of Ukraine on 24 February.

Croatia has expressed its strong support for Ukraine and sharply condemned the unprovoked Russian aggression.

The Croatian parliament has adopted a declaration on Ukraine, calling on Russia to immediately cease the military attack and withdraw its troops from Ukrainian territory.

The Croatian government has adopted a package of support measures for Ukraine relating to the possible acceptance of refugees, gas supply, and a ban on the use of Croatian airspace by Russian airlines and aircraft.

Croatia will support Ukraine with protective military equipment and infantry weapons, worth HRK 124 million (€16.5m) in total.

The government measures have been backed by the parliamentary majority and the opposition.