Croatian Defense Minister Ivan Anušić has warned about what he described as increasingly aggressive rhetoric from Serbia and its growing military capabilities, saying that Croatia has the means to respond and will work with regional allies, including Kosovo and Albania, to maintain a balance of power and preserve peace in Southeast Europe.
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Anušić said Serbia has been intensively increasing its military capabilities for roughly a decade and argued that its recent acquisitions include systems with offensive rather than purely defensive capabilities.
According to the Croatian minister, Serbia has purchased Chinese-made supersonic missiles with a range of up to 400 kilometers. He also referred to statements by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić concerning the missiles' potential reach in the region.
“We have an answer to what they have,” Anušić said, adding that Croatia is also developing and acquiring long-range missile capabilities.
The Croatian defense minister emphasized that Zagreb does not want the regional security debate to become a competition over who possesses missiles with the longest range. Instead, he said Croatia intends to establish a military balance that would contribute to stability in Southeast Europe.
Croatia Highlights Cooperation With Kosovo and Albania
Anušić also placed particular emphasis on cooperation with regional partners.
He said Croatia needs close cooperation with its allies and neighboring countries, specifically naming the Republic of Kosovo and Albania, as well as NATO members and other countries that, in his characterization, pursue policies based on peace, stability and cooperation.
“I therefore once again welcome my colleague, the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Kosovo, who is here with us today, with whom we cooperate excellently and continue to build our cooperation and friendship,” Anušić said.
His remarks come as Croatia and Kosovo continue to strengthen their defense and security cooperation, while the broader Western Balkans remains closely watched by NATO and European institutions because of unresolved political and security issues.
Anušić Refers to the Legacy of the 1990s
The Croatian minister also linked the current security environment to the wars that followed the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s.
Anušić argued that Serbian rhetoric toward neighboring countries is now, in his assessment, even more aggressive than it was decades ago. He also referred to Serbian claims regarding Kosovo and historical territorial disputes involving Croatia.
“We are not living in an ideal world and we do not have ideal neighbors,” Anušić said, arguing that Croatia must maintain sufficient defense capabilities to protect its population and prevent a repetition of the conflicts of the 1990s.
He said Croatia's objective is not to prepare for war but to prevent one by maintaining a credible deterrent.
“Today, no one can see Croatia as an easy target,” Anušić said.
The Croatian minister's remarks underscore Zagreb's growing focus on defense readiness and regional security, while his explicit reference to Kosovo and Albania as partners highlights the increasingly interconnected security policies of countries in the Western Balkans.