Kosovo’s Defense Minister, Ejup Maqedonci, has warned that the new ballistic missiles Serbia purchased from China are offensive, not defensive, posing a risk to the entire region.
Speaking on A2 CNN’s “Puls”, Maqedonci said that Serbia’s arms purchases are ongoing and not limited to recent acquisitions, noting that Belgrade has repeatedly bought weapons from China, Russia, and other countries over several years.
“These latest missiles are designed for attacks and therefore represent a threat not only to Kosovo but to the entire Balkan region,” said Maqedonci. He added that this demonstrates Serbia’s hegemonistic approach and attempts to dominate militarily, economically, and politically in the Western Balkans.
Maqedonci also dismissed claims by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić that these purchases are defensive measures against Kosovo, Albania, or Croatia. “These purchases are not linked only to the trilateral agreement between Kosovo, Albania, and Croatia—they began much earlier,” he said.
He stressed that the combination of offensive arms acquisitions from non-NATO countries with hegemonistic political approaches toward neighbors poses a serious threat to the entire region, and that NATO should take Serbia’s militarization seriously.
