Croatia 1995 – Ukraine 2025

Pope Leo XIV has met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after his inaugural Mass in the Vatican, on May 15, 2025, where he delivered a message of love and unity to a crowd of 200,000 pilgrims. He called for peace and the next day he offered the Vatican City for peace talks. June 2, 2025, Russia told Ukraine at peace talks that it would only agree to end the war if Kyiv gives up big new chunks of territory and accepts limits on the size of its army, according to a memorandum reported by Russian media.

Russia continues with its refusal to compromise on its longstanding war goals despite calls by U.S. President Donald Trump to end the “bloodbath” in Ukraine. June 5, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Russia’s ceasefire proposal as “an ultimatum” and renewed his call for direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to break the deadlock over the war, which has dragged on for nearly 3½ years. The way that many see this situation is that Vladimir Putin of Russia wants Ukraine to give up a large chunk of its eastern territory to Russia! Putin espoused irredentist and imperialist views challenging Ukraine’s legitimacy as a state, baselessly claimed that the Ukrainian government were neo-Nazis committing genocide against the Russian minority in the Donbas and said that Russia’s goal was to “demilitarise and denazify” Ukraine. He got no sympathy from the West regarding those wild accusations. Ukraine unlike Croatia in the 1990’s has no arms embargo imposed against it and so enjoys arms support from Europe, United Kingdom, United States of America…

“Every morning, we are served with a new serving of scrambled eggs,” said in his Facebook post Antun Drndelic, former independent journalist, in Croatia, a couple of weeks ago, “the Pope gave his opinion on the aggression against Ukraine. Respect to him. That’s it. The Pope thinks the same as me. Well, I don’t have to think the same as the Pope. Not only about a billion and four hundred thousand Catholics, but many others think the same. About what. About the everyday scenes of killing and destruction. And about the bombshell shown on Red Square in Moscow two days ago, which threatens the world under the motto: if you don’t give me ‘mine, that which I stepped on, I’ll hit you with my ‘finger’ on the button… A ‘hot’ potato that can’t be boiled or baked for now… It will ‘burn’ like every past and future war. Aromatically. Humanly and politically. With victories and division of spoils… And someone from the people must be defeated… And if he survives, he will be left without his ‘underpants’ on. And, let’s move on… To the end, which is not in sight, except in nuclear form and shape and spirit… Nothing new in the world…”

If it wants to retain its rightful borders Ukraine has no option but to mount attacks against Russia, or Russian soldiers fighting against on its territory. Judging from the media reports, Russia, that is Putin, insist Ukraine has no right to attack them. What! It should lie down like a dog, take the Russians beatings silently!? No way, as far as I am concerned. Ukraine should insist on getting back the territory Russia is occupying or fighting to occupy. Just like Croatia did in the 1990’s with the Serb- occupied territory. Come Hell or High Water!

Defending its territory and fighting for freedom from communist Yugoslavia it went like this in Croatia.

1990

                  30 May – First session of the multi-party Parliament of the Socialist Republic of Croatia (still within Yugoslavia). Franjo Tudjman (HDZ/Croatian Democratic Union Party President) is elected President of the Republic.

                  27 June – A declaration proclaiming “the sovereignty of the Serb people in          Croatia” is issued by the Serb Democratic Party/SDS. A “Serb National Council” is formed to organise a “referendum” on the future of Serb communities in Croatia. The establishment of the Committee is premised on a refusal by the part of Serb community in Croatia to recognise the independence constitutional changes taking place in Croatia.

                  25 July – The Croatian Parliament adopts amendments to the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Croatia (still within Yugoslavia). The term “socialist” is                   removed from the name of the Republic, a historic Croatian coat of arms and flag are adopted.

                  17 August – Serbs in the rural areas of Croatia block roads and begin arming      themselves. The attempts of the special police units of the Republic of Croatia to intervene are hindered by the Yugoslav People’s Army/JNA, which sides with rebel Serbs.

                  Serbian hard-liner Milan Babic, Mayor of Knin, declares a “state of war”.

                  2 October – The Government of Serbia calls on the federal authorities to intervene  to “defend Serbs from repression in Croatia”.

                  1 October – The “Serbian National Council” proclaims the “Serbian Autonomous            Region of Krajina”. The area includes about 50% of the Croatian Serb population.             Knin Serbs block roads and railway lines to Dalmatia, isolating it from the rest of           Croatia.

                  Large rallies are staged in Serbia and Montenegro. At one such rally Vuk               Draskovic, leader of the Serbian National Renewal Party, calls for a “declaration of war” against Croatia.

                  Croat-owned shops in Knin are petrol-bombed by militant Serbs. Mines are laid  on the railway line linking Dalmatia with continental Croatia. Traffic in the direction of Belgrade continues normally.

                  2 November – The establishment of a JNA party, under the name “League of      Communists – Movement for Yugoslavia”.

                  1 December – Yugoslav Defence Secretary Veljko Kadijevic threatens to use JNA forces to break up Croatian and Slovenian Territorial Defence forces.

                  22 December – The new Constitution of the Republic of Croatia is proclaimed.

1991

                  8 February – Croatia and Slovenia announce a mutual defence accord, according to which both States would declare independence should the JNA intervene in either Republic.

                  28 February – “The Serbian National Council” declares the independence of “Serbian Autonomous Region of Krajina” from the rest of Croatia and its intention to remain within the Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia/ SFRY.

                  1 March – Local rebel Serbs disarm the Croatian police in the Western Slavonian town of Pakrac.

                  31 March – The situation in the Plitvice area in central Croatia deteriorates into open armed conflict between Croatian Police and rebel Serbs from the “Krajina”. Yugoslav People’s Army intervenes for the first time and sides with rebel Serbs.

                  2 April – The “Executive Council of the Knin Krajina National Council” decides that “Krajina” should unite with the Republic of Serbia and that the laws of the Republic of Serbia and the Constitution of the SFRY are in force on the territory of “Krajina”.

                  Serb rebels erect roadblocks on roads in Eastern Slavonia that connect Vukovar with Vinkovci, Osijek and Dalj in Croatia.

                  3 April The Yugoslav Army/JNA sends more armed units to Croatia as a result of escalating violence in the “Krajina” region. In Slavonia JNA weapons are distributed amongst the local Serbs.

                  9 April – The Croatian Supreme State Council supports President Tudjman’s     decision to form Croatian National Guard Units (ZNG) – the nucleus of the future     Croatian armed forces.

                  21 April – At a rally in Eastern Slavonia, Vojislav Seselj (Chairman of the Serbian Radical Party, Serbia) states that over half of Croatian territory should be annexed to Serbia.

                  25 April – Croatian Supreme State Council proposed that a referendum                  concerning the future status of the Republic of Croatia should be held in Croatia on 15 May.

                  2 May – Twelve Croatian policemen are killed in Borovo Selo in Eastern Slavonia by Serbian paramilitary forces. Šešelj claims responsibility for the incident. The   following day JNA tanks occupy Borovo Selo and towns near Knin.

                  12 May – An illegal vote taken among a part of the Serbs in Croatia on integration of “Krajina” to Serbia. A majority vote in favour of joining.

                  19 May – A referendum on the future status of the Republic of Croatia is held.   84% of the electorate votes. 93.24% vote in favour of the Republic of Croatia             becoming an independent and sovereign state.

                  25 June – The Croatian Parliament passes a Constitutional Decision on the       Sovereignty and Independence of the Republic of Croatia, a Declaration on       Proclamation of the Sovereign and Independent Republic of Croatia and the   Charter on the Rights of Serbs and other minorities in the Republic of Croatia.

                  Slovenia also declares independence.

                  25-26 June The Parliament of Croatia (Sabor) demands that the JNA withdraw into barracks and desist from obstructing law enforcement units in the prevention of terrorism and armed rebellion, and in the establishment of peace and order in Croatia.

                  29 June – the JNA brings reservists from Serbia into the Croatian Danube Region (Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium). A week later an 80-kilometer-long column of JNA tanks and military vehicles leaves Serbia for Croatia, and the JNA starts, in alliance with Croatian rebel Serbs, its occupation of the Croatian Danube Region.

                  5 July European Commission/EC foreign ministers impose an arms embargo on the SFRY and resolve to freeze further financial aid.

                  1 August – Fighting breaks out in Dalj and Erdut, where Serb paramilitaries are assisted by the JNA. Croatian civilians are massacred.

                  12-13 August – Proclamation of the “Serbian Autonomous Region (SAO) of Western Slavonia”.

                  25 August – The JNA and Serb paramilitary units (rebel Serbs) launch a full-scale offensive against Vukovar, lasting until 20 November and resulting in the eventual destruction of the town and ethnic cleansing of Croats.

                  26 August -The village of Kijevo, near Knin, is completely destroyed by the JNA and Serbian paramilitary forces. Croat civilians are killed.

                  18-19 November – The JNA launches its final offensive on Vukovar. JNA units    reach the Vukovar hospital before the EC monitors and the Red Cross. They remove the wounded and hospital staff without the presence of the EC monitors and the Red Cross. Major Veselin Sljivancanin, a Serb, of the JNA’s First Proletarian Brigade prevents ICRC representatives from entering Vukovar hospital. The sick and wounded from the hospital are taken to the JNA barracks and then to the Ovcara agricultural estate where at least 200 of them are executed and buried in a mass grave.

                  The Croatian coastal villages of Skabrnja and Nadin are destroyed by the JNA and Serbian paramilitary forces. More than 60 Croatian civilians are massacred.

Late 1991 to mid-1992 international recognition of sovereignty and independence of Republic of Croatia from Yugoslavia gains significant momentum and Republic of Croatia becomes on May 22, 1992, a member state of the United Nations.

Serb aggressors, aided by Serbia, devastate Croatian towns, murder and massacre civilians, rape civilians, establish concentration camps for Croats in Croatia and Serbia, destruction and pillaging and ethnic cleansing of Croats and non-Serbs from these areas they occupied within the internationally recognised borders of Croatia. 25% of Croatian territory is occupied by Serb forces.

1995

                  1-2 May – Forces of the Government of Croatia launch a military offensive (known as “Operation Flash”) in the area of Western Slavonia. Intent on liberating that region from occupation.

                  4 August – A letter from the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Croatia is sent to the President of the UNSC informing him of Croatian military operations within the territory of the Republic of Croatia aimed at restoring the rule of law, constitutional order and public safety in the occupied territories of Croatia.

                  4-7 August – “Operation Storm” aimed at further liberation of occupied territories in Croatia.

                  5 August – The Croatian Army liberates Knin. Successful completion of Operation “Storm”. The Croatian Army liberates all occupied territories of Croatia, except Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium. Military conflict in Croatia ceases.

Victims on the side of Croats in the Republic of Croatia in the “Homeland War 1991 -1995” are as follows: 10,668 killed, 2,915 missing and 37,180 wounded, or a total of 50,763 killed, missing and wounded, which amounts to 1.4% of the total Croatian population in the Republic of Croatia at the time.

1998

                  15 January -Following the negotiations for peaceful re-integration of the rest of occupied Croatian territory in the constitutional order of Croatia, United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium/           UNTAES mandate is terminated by the UNSC.

What was happening in Croatia during 1990’s is happening today in Ukraine. Civilian casualties, including children and older people, increase by the day as Russian forces use indiscriminate weapons, damage critical civilian infrastructure and appear to deliberately target civilians. Executions, torture and other ill-treatment of civilian detainees and prisoners of war take place in the Russian-occupied territories, where the brutal repression of non-Russian identities continues. While the aggression against Croatia was Serb-led it is Russia-led in Ukraine. Ukraine, like Croatia, has every right to liberate its Russia-occupied territory and I trust strength and determination towards achieving this goal will prevail there. Ina Vukic