Croatian President, Zoran Milanovic, on Wednesday criticized the European Commission's decision to withhold two thirds of funding earmarked for Hungary over corruption, saying the move was thanks to "ideological reasons."

Addressing the press after attending a business conference in Zagreb, Milanovic said that “smart-asses from Brussels are set to deprive Hungary” of two thirds of the funding from the EU cohesion funds over Budapest’s failure to respect the rule of law.

“It is a disaster. I will do my best to see that this is not done to Hungary,” said Milanovic, without specifying what he planned to do about it.

Milanovic, a former prime minister and leader of Croatia’s Social Democratic Party (SDP), explained that he “socializes with Hungarian politicians, and is on good terms with them despite our ideological differences.”

“One should never be tired of offering objective criticism of what Hungary’s Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, does wrong in some cases,” Milanovic said, explaining that it is wrong to withhold the funds already set aside for Hungary.

“So, what’s next?… To push Hungary towards Russia,” Milanovic, who was included in an Ukrainian online blacklist in January for “disseminating Russian propaganda,” told reporters.

Milanovic also shared his illuminating insights on Serbia, which is not a EU member and which continues to refuse imposing sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine war. “Brussels is treating Serbia the same way. However, I can sympathize with Hungary as it did not attack Croatia, while Serbia did,” Milanovic told reporters, referring to the 1991-95 war.

Once again, Milanovic also spoke about “delicate relations” between Croatia and with Hungary, as Hungary’s oil company Mol holds a 49-percent stake in the Croatian oil and gas group Ina. “We must strive to develop a good company, and make sure that this issue does not poison our relations with that neighbouring country,” he added.