Serbia will have to recognise Kosovo in some way, Croatian President Zoran Milanovic said on Wednesday, adding that Belgrade must realise that it will come out of the "Serbian-Russian romance" as a "cheated lover."

In Serbia “some things must change” so that it can join the West, where it is “welcome,” he said at a joint press conference with Slovenian President Natasa Pirc-Musar.

“The situation in Ukraine is the beginning of the end of the apparent Serbian-Russian romance in which Serbia will realise it is the cheated lover,” Milanovic said, adding that Serbia and the Kosovo issue “bother Russia.”

“Russia is trying something with Ukraine and the example of Kosovo sticks out. Russia will have to recognise Kosovo sooner or later or pretend that it recognises it in order to legalise what it’s doing in Ukraine. That’s the reality,” Milanovic said.

According to him, “there is no love” between Belgrade and Moscow, only interest in which Serbia serves Russia.

Milanovic said Serbia will also “have to recognise Kosovo in some way” and that Kosovo politicians, whom he called “his friends”, will have to give status to the Community of Serb Municipalities in Kosovo, “which they agreed to and signed on.”

As for his recent statement that Kosovo was taken from Serbia, he said it was a fact because Belgrade did not agree to it.

“Serbia was left without Kosovo. It didn’t give it up voluntarily, it lost it in a war,” Milanovic said.

“I could have said it differently, that Serbia was left without Kosovo or that Kosovo was extracted from Serbia, but I guess we all agree that Kosovo was once part of Serbia,” Milanovic said, adding that he does not have to assure anyone of his attachment to Kosovo Albanians.

Milanovic said he always called on statesmen whose countries have not recognised Kosovo to do so.

He also had a message for the Serbian tabloids who applauded his statement that Kosovo was taken, saying “curb your enthusiasm.” They won’t like this, he added.