Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Monday that the decision by President and Armed Forces Commander in Chief Zoran Milanovic to exclude the Chief of the General Staff, General Tihomir Kundid, from attending a meeting of the parliamentary Defence Committee was tantamount to an "attempted coup".

“He (Milanovic) is temporarily detaining Kundid in the president’s office,” Plenkovic told the press, adding that this was “a coup d’état and an attack on the Croatian Army”.

Plenkovic was responding to a video message from Milanovic in which he gave his reasons for not allowing Kundid to attend the committee meeting last Thursday and today.

Milanovic said there were several reasons, one of which was the existence of secret information about the NATO mission “Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine” (NSATU) and possible Croatian participation.

“The time has come for full disclosure”

Kundid had been invited to the meeting to explain to MPs the circumstances surrounding the deployment of Croatian officers to Germany as part of the mission.

Plenkovic replied to Milanovic that Defence Minister Ivan Anusic had invited Kundid to explain why officers were being sent to Wiesbaden and what Croatia’s involvement would be.

Plenkovic also sent a message to the other members of the armed forces, saying that what Milanovic is now doing with Kundid, he is also doing with each of them.

The time has come for full disclosure, because no one but Russia benefits from Milanovic’s actions, he added.

“Croatia should elect a president who respects the constitution and the rule of law”

In this context, he said that the opposition parties now bear even more responsibility.

NSATU has become topical since President Zoran Milanovic refused to give his consent to Croatia’s participation. The parliament should now vote on it, and the decision needs a two-thirds majority to be valid.

Plenkovic also sent a message to the public in which he emphasised that Milanovic’s gross manipulations and lies must not go unpunished.

He added that in the upcoming presidential election, Croatia should elect a president who will respect the Constitution and the rule of law. The Prime Minister said that Dragan Primorac is the best candidate.