Balkan states in the arms race: Serbia sees red lines crossed!

Balkan states in the arms race: Serbia sees red lines crossed!

In a dramatic turn of events, the Balkans region is in focus as the countries of Kosovo, Albania and Croatia look to expand their military cooperation. A recently signed agreement aims to strengthen interoperability and cooperation in the defense industry. This development sparked outrage in Serbia: President Aleksandar Vučić described the agreement as an “open provocation” and warned of a possible arms race in the region. Serbia's Foreign Ministry criticized the agreement as a dangerous precedent and demanded an explanation as to why it was excluded from important discussions on collective security, such as Krone.at reported.

In the shadow of these military tensions are efforts to improve relations between Serbia and Kosovo, supported by the EU. According to EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, the heads of government of both countries have agreed to implement an agreement that has already been negotiated. This is intended to enable Serbia to recognize Kosovo's statehood without legitimizing it under international law. In a complicated exchange, Serbia could accept recognition of Kosovo's passports and other documents in exchange for Kosovo securing the rights of the Serbian minority within its borders. This information was provided by Tagesschau.de provided.

Reactions and challenges

Reactions to military cooperation between Kosovo, Albania and Croatia are divided in Serbia. Croatian Defense Minister Ivan Anušić indicated that Croatia does not need Belgrade's consent to adopt this agreement. Prime Minister Andrej Plenković stressed that cooperation does not need to be approved by Serbia or NATO, pointing to the changing political landscape in the region. At the same time, there is continued pressure on Vučić and his Kosovo counterpart Albin Kurti to normalize relations through the newly planned agreement. However, both face domestic pressure: Serbian nationalists are demanding a hard line against Kosovo, while there are fears in Kosovo that concessions could jeopardize state integrity.