Serbia and Croatia, which fought among themselves in the 1990s, joined a mini-arms race.
Amid rising tensions in Europe, the United States delivered two Black Hawk military helicopters to Croatia (Black Hawk — Ed.).
The Independent writes about this.
The publication drew attention to the fact that Croatia has joined a mini-arms race with neighboring Serbia, Russia’s ally in the Balkans.
The US Embassy in the Croatian capital said that the donated multi-purpose helicopters will contribute to the growth of the country’s defense capability and military readiness in support of NATO.
“Black Hawk provides opportunities for a range of possible missions, from special operations to tactical troop transport and air medical evacuation,” said US Charge d’affaires Mark Flemming.
He stressed that Croatia has earned a reputation as a loyal NATO ally.
Last month, Croatia signed an agreement with the United States on the purchase of 89 Bradley combat vehicles. Zagreb, as a NATO member, plans to form an infantry brigade. Croatia last year also agreed to purchase 12 Rafale fighters from France.
Serbia, which was at war with Croatia in the 1990s and supported the separatist entity “Serskaya Kraina” in eastern Croatia, has recently been armed mainly with Russian and Chinese military aircraft, drones and anti-aircraft systems.
In recent months, Russia has transferred 30 combat tanks and 30 armored personnel carriers to Serbia. Belgrade has also recently acquired sophisticated Russian Pantsir air defense systems, as well as attack and transport helicopters and Chinese drones.
Despite the fact that Serbia officially aspires to EU membership, Belgrade refuses to fully coordinate its foreign policy with Brussels and is simultaneously working to strengthen relations with Russia and China.
