The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, continues to express "concern" about the formation of a military alliance between Croatia, Albania and Kosovo, presenting himself as a victim of a situation that, according to him, is directed directly against his country.
"I am the president of a numerically small country. I am not Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, great presidents who solve everything easily. There are no easy things for me. Of course I am afraid. I am a president who wants his legacy to be peace. Out of nowhere, a military alliance appears. Of course I am afraid, for the life of every citizen of our country, this is my responsibility," Vucic said in a recent interview.
He accused Croatia and Albania of deliberately creating an alliance to undermine Serbia, emphasizing that "this military alliance is directed directly against Serbia, there is no other reason."
"We are preparing for their attack. They are waiting for the moment that will happen in the future when a bigger conflict breaks out between the Europeans and the Russians and an even bigger conflict in the Middle East. Everything we do, we do to defend our country. We cannot attack NATO countries, and Albania and Croatia are among them. These are their goals, they are waiting for a favorable moment when there is general chaos in the world."
Commenting on Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic's statement on Serbia's hypersonic weapons, Vučić said that relations with NATO are "correct and good" and that his country will not join the Alliance, maintaining neutrality.
Analysts see this stance as a strategy to portray Vučić as a victim of a regional situation, positioning himself as a defender of peace and stability in the region in the face of an alliance he perceives as a threat.
NATO on Kosovo defense pact: Albania and Croatia contribute to regional stability
NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska previously stated that Albania and Croatia contribute to regional stability, when asked about the defense cooperation of the two alliance states with Kosovo.
"Albania and Croatia are not only reliable and valued allies within the alliance. They are also contributors to regional peace and stability. They have a presence in KFOR, but are generally focused on supporting this agenda in the region," Shekerinska told the Serbian news agency Beta.
Following these statements, Croatia's Defense Minister, Ivan Anušević, said that cooperation with Kosovo and Albania does not pose a threat to anyone.
"There is absolutely nothing controversial in this statement and, of course, we do not endanger anyone with it. Our cooperation is clearly oriented towards strengthening stability and security in Southeast Europe, as well as deepening the partnership and alliance between the three friendly states," he wrote in X.
Even earlier, the signatories of the declaration have stated that it is not against anyone, not even Serbia, while the Albanian Minister of Defense, Pirro Vengu, declared at the end of January this year that he had invited Serbia to become part of this pact, but Belgrade has not responded to this invitation.
Croatia and Albania are part of the western military alliance NATO, where Kosovo hopes to join.
According to the declaration, there are four main areas of cooperation, which include promoting cooperation in the field of defense capabilities and the defense industry, increasing interoperability through education, training and joint exercises, addressing hybrid threats and strengthening resilience, as well as providing continued and full support for Euro-Atlantic integration.
Based on this statement, among other things, Pristina, Tirana and Zagreb plan to make joint purchases of weapons from the United States./Telegraph.
