Vučić attacks Croats: 'They are selling this to us today as patriotism'

Aleksandar Vučić has renewed his attacks on Croatia, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and European Commissioner Marta Kos, accusing them of lecturing Serbia amid a dispute over the treatment of Ratko Mladić after the convicted war criminal's death.

Speaking during a visit to the West Bačka District, Serbia's president said Croatian media had failed to report his comments about the slogan "Za dom spremni". He described it as the worst Nazi greeting of the Second World War and accused Croatian society of presenting it as patriotism.

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Croatian media will never write what I told them about Nazism and that 'Za dom spremni' is the worst Nazi greeting from the Second World War because they will not tell the truth to their people,

"Croatian media will never write what I told them about Nazism and that 'Za dom spremni' is the worst Nazi greeting from the Second World War because they will not tell the truth to their people," Vučić said. He added: "They cannot say that what I said is a lie, because it is the worst Nazi greeting from the Second World War, 'Za dom spremni'. There is no worse one. There is no worse one anywhere in the world. They are selling this to us today as patriotism."

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They cannot say that what I said is a lie, because it is the worst Nazi greeting from the Second World War, 'Za dom spremni'. There is no worse one. There is no worse one anywhere in the world. They are selling this to us today as patriotism.

The latest exchange followed several days of sharp messages between Belgrade and Zagreb. Plenković called the glorification of Mladić and the granting of state honors a departure from the values underpinning European integration. He said anyone honoring a convicted war criminal did not understand the European Union.

Kos canceled a planned visit to Serbia after citing the glorification of Mladić, whom she said had been convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Plenković also said Serbia's treatment of Mladić showed a failure to understand the European Union's foundational values, democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights. Vučić responded by accusing Croatia of glorifying Nazism. He also discussed Serbia's domestic political situation, claiming that outside forces were influencing a student electoral list and referring to pressure he said came from Brussels and some embassies.

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Now Plenković and Marta Kos get together to lecture me. We have no town without a memorial room. We have no village without a memorial room. There is not a single village of ours without one.