Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković has expressed concern over what he described as an “extraordinary” process of Serbia’s military build-up, saying Zagreb is closely monitoring the development of Belgrade’s military capabilities.
Plenković said Serbia’s procurement resembles a “shopping basket” being filled from around the world, stressing that all of Serbia’s neighboring countries should ask why Belgrade is investing so heavily in armaments.
According to Plenković, Serbia’s military build-up has also been discussed at meetings of Croatia’s Defence Council and National Security Council. Zagreb is also discussing the situation with its international partners.
Plenković emphasized that Croatia, as a member of the European Union and NATO, is strengthening its own defence capabilities. He said Croatia has tripled its defence budget over the past decade and argued that these capabilities do not pose a threat to anyone, but are intended to deter a repetition of the aggression of the 1990s. Croatia has separately announced major new defence investments, including the acquisition of 18 South Korean Chunmoo multiple-launch rocket systems.
Anušić: Serbia Has Been Arming for 10 Years
Croatian Defence Minister Ivan Anušić was even more direct in his remarks at the international defence industry conference in Zadar.
He said Croatia is aware that Serbia has been intensively arming and modernizing its military with advanced systems for around a decade. He also criticized what he described as Belgrade’s “aggressive” and “hostile” rhetoric.
Anušić linked this rhetoric to the wars of the 1990s in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo. He also said Serbia was, in his assessment, threatening a return to the rhetoric of the 1990s, including claims that the territory of the Republic of Kosovo is Serbian territory.
The Croatian defence minister also referred to reports concerning Serbia’s alleged acquisition or development of hypersonic missiles, including claims about weapons with a range of up to 400 kilometers. He said such reports had been among the factors prompting Zagreb to seek what he described as a “counter-response.”
Anušić said Croatia aims to restore a balance of military capabilities in the region and called for closer cooperation with its allies, including Kosovo and Albania. He also said defence cooperation between Croatia and Kosovo is currently at its highest level.
Croatia has previously stated that it is also pursuing closer trilateral defence cooperation with Albania and Kosovo, following a joint declaration on defence cooperation signed in Tirana in 2025.
