Croatian President Zoran Milanovic (R) shakes hands with Slovak President Peter Pellegrini during their meeting in Zagreb, Croatia, on July 1, 2025. Western leaders should resume dialogue with Russia to help end the conflict in Ukraine, Croatian President Zoran Milanovic said Tuesday following talks with Slovak President Peter Pellegrini in Zagreb. (Sanjin Strukic/PIXSELL via Xinhua)

ZAGREB, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Western leaders should resume dialogue with Russia to help end the conflict in Ukraine, Croatian President Zoran Milanovic said Tuesday following talks with Slovak President Peter Pellegrini in Zagreb.

"There is no excuse not to talk," Milanovic said at a joint press conference, adding that even during the time of the Soviet Union, negotiations were held between the West and the Soviet Union.

"The whole architecture of trust and distrust was established to avoid a nuclear war. This is the whole philosophy of international relations, which is very elaborate and deep. All that is broken today," he said, adding, "there is a spectacular generation of incompetent people who act harmfully."

For his part, Pellegrini said that neither of the two leaders believed further military support would end the war in Ukraine, as it is not possible to defeat a nuclear power like Russia through armed means.

To resolve the conflicts in Ukraine, NATO and the United States should seek a common ground with Russia on whether they could stop the fighting and negotiate a post-war settlement for Ukraine, Pellegrini stressed.

He called on the European Union leaders, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, to engage in talks with Moscow and seek a negotiated resolution.

Pellegrini arrived in Croatia on Monday for an official visit. During that day, he and Milanovic discussed bilateral economic cooperation, regional security, and preparations for the next NATO summit. ■

Croatian President Zoran Milanovic (1st R) and Slovak President Peter Pellegrini (2nd R) inspect a guard of honor in Zagreb, Croatia, on July 1, 2025. Western leaders should resume dialogue with Russia to help end the conflict in Ukraine, Croatian President Zoran Milanovic said Tuesday following talks with Slovak President Peter Pellegrini in Zagreb. (Sanjin Strukic/PIXSELL via Xinhua)