A few days ago, one of the most talked-about topics was Serbia’s nearly finalized deal with France for aircraft procurement.
Serbia has been considering the purchase of new Rafale aircraft for over two years, since Croatia, its Balkan rival, bought 12 used aircraft of this type for around 1 billion euros.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said on Tuesday that Serbia is close to signing a deal to purchase 12 French Rafale fighter jets, marking a shift in military supplies, which until now relied on Russia.
Vučić made this announcement during his two-day visit to Paris, where he met with French President Emmanuel Macron and French defense officials, including the manufacturer of Rafale aircraft, Dassault Aviation.
Regarding this issue, as reported by the Associated Press news agency, the possible purchase of Rafale aircraft would allow Serbia to modernize its predominantly Soviet-made MiG-29 fighter aircraft fleet, as well as its old Yugoslav fighter aircraft.
Russia has been a traditional supplier of military aircraft, including combat helicopters, to Serbia, which has refused to join international sanctions against Moscow for its occupation of Ukraine.
Given this situation, could such a scenario happen in Serbia?
Ymeri: Macron is convinced that the mastermind behind the terrorist attack in Banjska is none other than Vučić.
He says that Macron’s request addressed to Vučić is of a diplomatic nature and that, due to France’s previous friendly relations with Serbia, such reservations are necessary.
“Macron’s request to Vučić, to bring those responsible for the terrorist attack in Banjska to justice, is of a diplomatic nature, as politicians usually act, who, for reasons known to them, do not wish to express outright condemnation for a criminal act.
Macron is convinced that the mastermind behind that terrorist attack is Vučić himself. But Macron refrains from telling Vučić such a thing, because the long-standing tradition of friendly relations between France and Serbia is well known, relations with a past trajectory against the Albanian nation. Generally, France, after the failure of Napoleon’s campaign against Russia in 1812, turned its antennas away from Slavism, with Russia leading the way. France’s unfriendly stance towards Kosovo was evident during NATO’s bombings against Serbia, when French pilots, as stated by Colonel Dilaver Goxhaj, former deputy chief of staff of the UÇK General Staff, would inform Serbian troops in Kosovo in advance of where the bombings would take place,” he said.
Furthermore, the professor provides a chronology of France-Kosovo relations and emphasizes that Macron made that request to Vučić for two reasons.
“In March 2015, the entire Albanian public was acquainted with a scandalous statement by a euro-deputy, a French chauvinist in the European Parliament, named Aymeric Chauprade (1969). This chauvinistic promoter of Russo-Serbism, from the platform of the parliament in question, expressed his full hatred for Kosovo, which he labeled as a ‘nest of crime,’ declaring that Paris had made, thus, a ‘historic mistake’ with the recognition of Kosovo’s independence.
In March 2017, presidential candidate Marine Le Pen stated that when she becomes president of France, she will initiate the annulment of Kosovo’s recognition. In an interview with the Serbian newspaper ‘Srpski Telegraf,’ the leader of the Democratic Front said that ‘Kosovo is Serbian holy land,’ therefore her state ‘will withdraw recognition of Kosovo.’
I am convinced that Macron made that request to Vučić for two reasons:
Firstly, to be on the same wavelength as European mass media, which condemned that act of terrorism.
Secondly, to somewhat preserve Vučić’s image, so that such terrorist acts are not repeated, because criminals will receive the same response they received in Banjska,” Professor Eshref Ymeri spoke to “Bota sot.”
Mehmeti: Serbia cannot be restrained until it arms itself.
Political analyst Faton Mehmeti, in a conversation with “Bota sot,” stated that this armament indicates that Serbia is preparing for a possible war.
“Indeed, Serbia is preparing for war; anyone who doesn’t understand this is either naive or becoming so. The acquisition of such sophisticated weapons as Rafale demonstrates this clearly. At the same time, Kosovo must also prepare for possible war. It is unacceptable how there is no reaction from the international community, where every weapon sold to Serbia comes with a written agreement that it won’t be used for aggression, potentially only for defense,” he said.
In conclusion, he added that Serbia poses a danger to the entire region and Europe.
“Serbia cannot be restrained until it arms itself; this is a danger to the entire region and Europe. I believe that Serbia will continue to arm itself more and more each day, which will ultimately cost the international community dearly,” Mehmeti concluded for “Bota sot.”
Source: Botasot.net
