Thewesternbalkans
On 28 February 2024, in Tirana was held “Ukraine-Southeast Europe” Summit, where the president of Ukraine Volodimir Zelensky thanked leaders of Western Balkan countries for their political and humanitarian support. In the same time he stressed that, although “there are about 500 defence companies operating in Ukraine, it is not enough to win over Vladimir Putin”.
President Zelensky urged Balkan countries to ‘co-produce’ arms and proposed a joint defence industry forum to be held in Kyiv or a Balkan capital where a Ukrainian governmental team will present the details. He pointed out that there are problems with the supply of ammunition, which are affecting the situation on the battlefield. Ukraine is interested in co-production with Balkan states and all other partners.
At a joint press conference of Albanian Prime Minister Rama and President Zelensky, Edi Rama said that Ukraine deserves to be helped in the war against Russia. “They pretend that stopping giving weapons to Ukraine will bring peace. This is not only cynical, but absurd. You don’t stop the war by disarming the victim,” Rama said.
Comments: Since the start of the war, Balkan countries have been mainly supportive towards Ukraine. Most have imposed sanctions on Russia, called for investigations of war crimes, are helping in the defence sector and are hosting Ukrainian migrants.
There is little information about what Croatia’s military aid to Ukraine has included. Ukraine has bought demining machines from Croatia. In October last year, an International Donor Conference for the Humanitarian Demining of Ukraine was held in Zagreb, and Croatia immediately donated 5 million euros for demining.
In April 2022, Montenegro confirmed it would join EU sanctions on Russia. Moscow subsequently added Montenegro to its list of “enemy states”. In July 2022, the Montenegrin parliament passed a resolution condemning the invasion and promising that the country’s foreign policy would be aligned with its Western partners. Last May, the Montenegrin Defence Ministry sent 400,000 euros’ worth of medicine and military donations to Ukraine.
North Macedonia has sent ten batches of military aid to Kyiv. It is considered one of the top contributors of equipment among Ukraine’s allies, considering its size and population of just under 2 million.
Serbia, due to its traditional ties to Russia, is the only Balkan country that did not impose sanctions on Russia. Since the invasion started, however, Serbian weapons have reportedly ended up in Ukraine, likely sent first to NATO countries allied to Ukraine. On two occasions in 2023 it was reported that rockets produced in Serbia appeared in Ukrainian war zones. In April 2023, Reuters reported that, according to a leaked classified Pentagon document, Serbia had agreed to supply arms to Kyiv or has sent them already. Despite Serbia’s officials denied the report, President Aleksandar Vucic told the Financial Times that he was aware that some Serbian-manufactured arms “might end up in Ukraine”. Vucic met Zelensky for the first time at the European Political Community meeting in Moldova in June 2023.
On the other hand, since the focus in Brussels and Washington was largely transferred to the events in the Middle East, Zelensky’s activity at the level of the “second echelon” – the countries of the Western Balkans is understandable. However, the event can also be viewed in the context of the latest statements of the French President Macron and his foreign minister about the possible participation of military from NATO member countries under the auspices of a “coalition of the willing” in Ukraine. In such a scenario, it may turn out that the Balkan countries are not second echelon at all.
