The presidential candidate backed by the ruling HDZ party, Dragan Primorac, on Saturday supported the party's claims that President Zoran Milanovic was siding with Russia, adding that this might have far-reaching consequences for Croatia.

“If you take a closer look at what has been happening in Ukraine since the beginning of the war, don’t you find his behaviour and his obvious siding with Russia strange? At no point did he condemn what is happening in Ukraine, even though Croatia paid a huge price in the Homeland War,” Primorac told the press outside HDZ headquarters.

“If this turns out to be true, then the consequences for Croatia, for me, for all of you, will be far-reaching,” Primorac said, adding that Milanović has been totally inactive in the last five years.

When repeatedly asked whether there was any evidence for such claims, Primorac said that “evidence is being gathered and it takes time to gather it.”

“I’m not getting into this, I’m only saying that since the start of the war in Ukraine his behaviour has been strange. His pro-Russian stance is completely opposite to that of all our allies, and we had the Homeland War in Croatia,” he repeated.

Primorac also spoke of Croatia’s national security, saying that “it is under threat from the biggest threat to Europe and the world, a war raging only a few hundred kilometres north of Croatia.”

“The only and fastest way for the situation to stabilise is for (Milanović) to leave in February. I wish him all the best in his life, but he must go,” Primorac said.

Asked if the HDZ would propose a vote of no confidence in President Milanovic, Primorac said that this question should be put to the HDZ as he was “a non-partisan candidate”. “One thing is certain. Very soon, the Croatian people will give him a vote of no confidence in the election.”