Thewesternbalkans.
The United States has signed six new military cooperation agreements with North Macedonia. The US side has pledged to invest 20 million euros in rearming the Macedonian army. This information was confirmed by North Macedonia’s Defense Minister Vlado Misailovski.
“America is the only country that actually supports us to the maximum and fullest extent. We have signed six new contracts with the US worth 20 million euros. Part of this money will go to the purchase of modern drones. All the funds come from American funds,” Misailovski said.
According to him, by the end of the year, the North Macedonian army should receive 96 American armored vehicles and armored personnel carriers (JLTV, Stryker).
In addition, the minister reported that “last year, Ukraine ‘withdrawn’ 2 million euros from the Macedonian Ministry of Defense for old debts.”
Comment: The aid seems substantial given the Macedonian military budget, but the debt will also be significant for the poor country. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Macedonian military spending in 2022 was $225 million. The country’s 2024 budget sets military spending at $263 million, which is 2.22% of the budget. It is unclear why the minister announced the amount of aid in euros, and not in US dollars. Misailovski does not rule out the possibility of discussing sending Macedonian military personnel to Ukraine, depending on the development of the situation.
