Please Follow us on Gab, Minds, Telegram, Rumble, GETTR, Truth Social, Twitter, and Facebook, Youtube
The Western Balkans are witnessing a pronounced military buildup as of late 2025, characterized by multi-billion-euro acquisitions of tanks, howitzers, missile systems, and drones. This “pre-New Year’s armament” surge—driven by lingering post-Yugoslav tensions, Russian influence, and NATO/EU integration pressures—has heightened fears of an arms race. Serbia dominates spending, outpacing the rest of the region combined by a factor of five, while smaller states like Kosovo and Croatia pursue targeted modernizations to bolster deterrence. These developments are not isolated; they intersect with strategic alliances and external actors, particularly Turkey, amid simmering risks of conflict in Kosovo and Bosnia. From a Serbian perspective, this constellation appears as deliberate encirclement, exacerbating Belgrade’s sense of vulnerability. However, Albanian and Kosovar sources frame it as defensive necessity against perceived Serbian irredentism.
Read Full Article: https://thebalkan.press/2025/12/14/armaments-buildup-in-the-western-balkans-an-escalating-regional-security-dilemma/
