*YESTERDAY, when Prime Minister Plenković submitted a report on the situation in Ukraine, spontaneous applause broke out. With it, the deputies greeted the Ukrainian Ambassador Vasily Kirilic, but also our (Croatian) Ambassador to Ukraine, Anica Djamić, who bravely stayed in Kiev during the first week of the Russian invasion.*
*Namely, Djamić is one of the few Western diplomats who stayed in the Ukrainian capital for such a long time and regularly reported on the situation in that country, although Kyiv was under constant threat of rocket attacks. Fifteen days ago, before the direct invasion of Ukraine, there were about a hundred foreign ambassadors in Kiev, but after the attack they began to leave and only a dozen remained, including Djamić.*
​
***REFUSED TO LEAVE KYIV***
*Djamic flatly refused to leave Kyiv until all Croats from the capital were safe, but on Monday Plenković ordered her to leave the city and report on the invasion from a safer place.*
*”Given the deteriorating security situation in Kiev and the attacks on the Ukrainian capital, yesterday I instructed our ambassador Anica Djamić to leave Kyiv,” Plenković said at a news conference yesterday. He added that she is on her way to Lviv, where she will stay and perform her duty, help Croatian citizens and monitor the situation in Ukraine.”She is well and we believe she will be safe in Lviv, a city in western Ukraine,” the prime minister said.*
​
***REPORTING FROM THE SHELTERS***
*The name of our ambassador became known to the public because of her courageous speech, talks with Croatian citizens in Ukraine and regular reporting from Kiev despite the dangerous situation for her.*
*Three days ago, for example, she appeared on HRT’s show ‘Good morning, Croatia’ from the shelters in Kyiv.*
*”It is the fourth night in the shelters. An alarm was sounded four times from the last night to this morning. Since we receive warnings that there is a serious danger of attack, then citizens are urged to stay in their homes, and when the sirens sound, go down to the shelters. Shelters are very often ordinary basements, but it should be said that the city has opened metro stations for the needs of shelters, so the entrance to the metro is free, “Ambassador Djamić told HRT.*
*”An alarm was sounded four times from last night to this morning. We heard detonations. It has become something of a daily occurrence for us now. Of course, it is wiser then to stay where we feel most protected,” she added.*
*At the end of the conversation, she said that she was in Ukraine and that her place was now there. “If there is a need to leave, then we will look at the roads,” concluded Djamić, who said she did not want to leave Ukraine as long as at least one Croatian citizen was still there.*
​
***MESIĆ: SHE WAS A GOOD ANALYST***
*Not much is known about ambassador Djamić. She is an experienced diplomat who worked in the Office of the President in the mid-1990s, where she was an assistant foreign policy adviser. Prior to Ukraine, she was an ambassador to Sweden from 2014 to 2018. Since 2019, she has been the ambassador to Ukraine.*
*From 2000 to 2005, former Croatian President Stjepan Mesić appointed her as an adviser on European integration. For 24sata.hr he said that she was one of the most conscientious advisers he had.*
*”I found Anica in the office when I became president and I thought that everyone who did their job professionally should be kept. All the employees stayed when I came to Pantovčak (Presidential palace) because, I say, they did their job. I kept those from the advisors who did not work in propaganda. Ms. Anica was one of them, very educated, she spoke several languages. She was a good analyst” Mesić said.*
I think she’s Anica Djamić, the Croatian ambassador who refuses to leave Ukraine
Don’t quote me on it tho
So much courage even when most left.
Women who survived war and bombings are just built differently
That’s leadership
What a brave lady.
Wondered why more ambassadors don’t stay. Would make it a lot more challenging/risky for Putin to bomb and shell Kyiv w/o giving clear pretexts for 3rd parties to enter conflict. Also gives outside world more direct oversight in case of war crimes, etc.
7 comments
Article in Croatian, translation:
​
*YESTERDAY, when Prime Minister Plenković submitted a report on the situation in Ukraine, spontaneous applause broke out. With it, the deputies greeted the Ukrainian Ambassador Vasily Kirilic, but also our (Croatian) Ambassador to Ukraine, Anica Djamić, who bravely stayed in Kiev during the first week of the Russian invasion.*
*Namely, Djamić is one of the few Western diplomats who stayed in the Ukrainian capital for such a long time and regularly reported on the situation in that country, although Kyiv was under constant threat of rocket attacks. Fifteen days ago, before the direct invasion of Ukraine, there were about a hundred foreign ambassadors in Kiev, but after the attack they began to leave and only a dozen remained, including Djamić.*
​
***REFUSED TO LEAVE KYIV***
*Djamic flatly refused to leave Kyiv until all Croats from the capital were safe, but on Monday Plenković ordered her to leave the city and report on the invasion from a safer place.*
*”Given the deteriorating security situation in Kiev and the attacks on the Ukrainian capital, yesterday I instructed our ambassador Anica Djamić to leave Kyiv,” Plenković said at a news conference yesterday. He added that she is on her way to Lviv, where she will stay and perform her duty, help Croatian citizens and monitor the situation in Ukraine.”She is well and we believe she will be safe in Lviv, a city in western Ukraine,” the prime minister said.*
​
***REPORTING FROM THE SHELTERS***
*The name of our ambassador became known to the public because of her courageous speech, talks with Croatian citizens in Ukraine and regular reporting from Kiev despite the dangerous situation for her.*
*Three days ago, for example, she appeared on HRT’s show ‘Good morning, Croatia’ from the shelters in Kyiv.*
*”It is the fourth night in the shelters. An alarm was sounded four times from the last night to this morning. Since we receive warnings that there is a serious danger of attack, then citizens are urged to stay in their homes, and when the sirens sound, go down to the shelters. Shelters are very often ordinary basements, but it should be said that the city has opened metro stations for the needs of shelters, so the entrance to the metro is free, “Ambassador Djamić told HRT.*
*”An alarm was sounded four times from last night to this morning. We heard detonations. It has become something of a daily occurrence for us now. Of course, it is wiser then to stay where we feel most protected,” she added.*
*At the end of the conversation, she said that she was in Ukraine and that her place was now there. “If there is a need to leave, then we will look at the roads,” concluded Djamić, who said she did not want to leave Ukraine as long as at least one Croatian citizen was still there.*
​
***MESIĆ: SHE WAS A GOOD ANALYST***
*Not much is known about ambassador Djamić. She is an experienced diplomat who worked in the Office of the President in the mid-1990s, where she was an assistant foreign policy adviser. Prior to Ukraine, she was an ambassador to Sweden from 2014 to 2018. Since 2019, she has been the ambassador to Ukraine.*
*From 2000 to 2005, former Croatian President Stjepan Mesić appointed her as an adviser on European integration. For 24sata.hr he said that she was one of the most conscientious advisers he had.*
*”I found Anica in the office when I became president and I thought that everyone who did their job professionally should be kept. All the employees stayed when I came to Pantovčak (Presidential palace) because, I say, they did their job. I kept those from the advisors who did not work in propaganda. Ms. Anica was one of them, very educated, she spoke several languages. She was a good analyst” Mesić said.*
I think she’s Anica Djamić, the Croatian ambassador who refuses to leave Ukraine
Don’t quote me on it tho
So much courage even when most left.
Women who survived war and bombings are just built differently
That’s leadership
What a brave lady.
Wondered why more ambassadors don’t stay. Would make it a lot more challenging/risky for Putin to bomb and shell Kyiv w/o giving clear pretexts for 3rd parties to enter conflict. Also gives outside world more direct oversight in case of war crimes, etc.