Šušnjar: Croats did not attack, they defended their homes

Economy Minister Ante Šušnjar on Wednesday, on Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day and the Day of Croatian Defenders, sent a strong message to those who, as he said, are trying to distort the truth about the Homeland War. He stressed that Croats did not attack but defended their homes, and told those who dispute this truth that they should apologize to the "victims of Greater Serbian aggression."

"Croats did not attack, they defended their homes. Croats did not conquer, they liberated," Šušnjar wrote in a post on social media platform X. He added that in Knin, the foundations of the Croatian state were laid, soaked in the blood of Croatian defenders, thanks to which Croatia today stands as a sovereign and internationally recognized state.

Operation Storm also saved BiH

The minister emphasized that the military-police operation Storm, which liberated the occupied part of Croatian territory in August 1995, also saved Bosnia and Herzegovina and enabled peace. This is "the truth that must be repeated time and again, and today we celebrate the truth," Šušnjar said.

He also commented on relations with Serbia, saying: "As long as they remain peaceful across the Drina, we will build interpersonal and economic relations. Until they recognize the truth and face their own deeds, they cannot move forward."

Call for apology and visit to Knin

Šušnjar sharply criticized recent moves by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and informal Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik, who on Sunday laid wreaths near Bosanski Petrovac, at the site where a Serbian column was killed while retreating after Operation Storm. "I see that in recent days they are again learning geography, visiting BiH, mentioning Knin and Operation Storm. They apologize yesterday to Serbs in BiH and Croatia, but in their visits they did not do what they should have - apologize to Croats. Apologize to the victims of Greater Serbian aggression, apologize for their speeches, rhetoric, and actions, apologize to their compatriots for inciting them against their own state," the minister stated.

"So stop with this blind alley," he told them, and invited them to come down to Knin next year. "Do not cowardly go around, but next year freely come down to Knin and offer a real apology. Pay tribute to the victims of the war that raged here for almost five years. That is the way forward, not new rallies," Šušnjar concluded.

Plenković: Operation Storm is the crown of the struggle for freedom

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković congratulated Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day, the Day of Croatian Defenders, and the 31st anniversary of Operation Storm, calling it a "magnificent victory that changed the course of Croatian history."

"Operation Storm was a brilliant military victory, a legitimate liberation operation, and the crown of Croatia's struggle for freedom," Plenković wrote. He stressed that under the leadership of the first president, Franjo Tuđman, Croatian defenders, soldiers, and police officers liberated most of the occupied territory in just a few days.

The Prime Minister also emphasized the importance of investing in the country's defense capabilities. "Croatia is not competing with anyone in armament. We do not threaten anyone, but we are not afraid of anyone. We will know how to respond to any threat. If we want peace, we must be able to defend it," Plenković said, listing the procurement of Rafale, Black Hawk, Leopard, CAESAR, HIMARS, Bayraktar, and other systems.

On the occasion of the commemoration, Plenković and members of the government laid a wreath and lit a candle at the Monument to the Croatian Victory "Storm 95" in Knin. "With special gratitude and deep respect, we remember the first Croatian president Franjo Tuđman, Croatian defenders, and all those who laid down their lives for Croatia. Their sacrifice obliges us to preserve the truth, search for the missing, and build peace based on justice and respect," Plenković concluded.