Croatia Urges Envoys to Warn West on Serbia's Military Buildup

Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković has called on the country's ambassadors to actively warn Western allies about Serbia's accelerating military buildup. Speaking at an annual conference of Croatian ambassadors, consuls, and military envoys in Zagreb, Jandroković stressed that Serbia is acquiring not only defensive but also offensive weaponry.

"Serbia is arming itself not only with defensive weapons, but also with offensive, attacking ones. And we need to tell our Western allies about that. Not to shy away from it," Jandroković stated. He warned that new political elites in Western countries often lack understanding of the former Yugoslavia's complex history and the dangers of Greater Serbian policies pursued during Slobodan Milošević's era. Croatia, he argued, must explain the regional situation and potential security risks.

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Serbia is arming itself not only with defensive weapons, but also with offensive, attacking ones. And we need to tell our Western allies about that. Not to shy away from it.

The issue of Serbia's military modernization has been a point of concern, particularly following France's sale of 12 Rafale fighter jets to Belgrade, which drew criticism from Croatian President Zoran Milanović. Jandroković's message to Paris, however, faces a diplomatic hurdle: Croatia has not had an ambassador in France since the death of Filip Vučak in January 2021, and similar diplomatic vacancies exist in London and other key cities.

European Commission Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos also addressed the conference, describing EU enlargement as a geopolitical stabilizer. She noted that the current year has seen a record number of negotiation chapters opened and closed. However, Kos emphasized the need for internal EU reforms to accommodate new members, including reducing areas where a single country can block decisions and strengthening mechanisms to protect European values post-accession. She cautioned against admitting "Trojan horses" into the Union.

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We must be sure that we will not let in Trojan horses. Not today, nor in ten or twenty years.