“Let’s stop deceiving young people into thinking there will be no war”: why it resonated

“Let’s stop deceiving young people into thinking there will be no war” has become, according to the article, the week’s most resonant statement. The speaker, military analyst Ivica Mandić, is a former navy captain, but some reactions accused him of spreading panic. The author says Mandić’s background as a submariner makes the warning worth taking seriously.

The article says some readers misunderstood Mandić’s point. He was discussing the possibility of armed conflict between Europe and Russia, the author writes, rather than suggesting that Croatians would again be forced to fight a war like Stalingrad.

The commentary then shifts its focus to Serbia and President Aleksandar Vučić. It argues that Serbia has long been a destabilizing factor and claims Vučić is preparing the country for a so-called “second half,” which the author interprets as a warning that war could return between Croatia and Serbia.

The article presents that interpretation in stark terms, saying Serbia could attack again and this time expect to win. It also criticizes Croatian President Zoran Milanović, saying he has repeatedly warned that he would not allow Croatia’s armed forces to fight in Ukraine, even though, the author says, nobody is asking for that.

The article’s framing is strongly alarmed and confrontational. It presents Mandić’s warning as a reason to take the prospect of war seriously and portrays Serbia’s military direction under Vučić as a continuing danger to Croatia.

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Let’s stop deceiving young people into thinking there will be no war.