Meanwhile In Balkans...

[bojan]

Moldova is not Balkans.

[urbanoid]

12 minutes ago, bojan said:

Moldova is not Balkans.

Honorary Balkans?

[Sardaukar]

Actually got curious about what is "Balkans".

Encyclopedia Britannica defines it as:

The Balkans are usually characterized as comprising Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia

 

[bojan]

1 hour ago, urbanoid said:

Honorary Balkans?

Only if Romanians take them back.

[Strannik]

Moldovans (ops, I meant Russians 😉) in action

 

 

[JWB]

8 hours ago, bojan said:

Moldova is not Balkans.

I couldn't find exactly where to post that link and Balkans is the closest I could find.

[bojan]

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/off-duty-kosovo-soldier-suspected-wounding-two-local-serbs-2023-01-06/

Edited January 7, 2023 by bojan

[urbanoid]

[alejandro_]

Serbia is going to increase defense spending for several programs:

- Rafale acquisition
- M-84/T-72 upgrade
- Milos and Lazar vehicles
- Loitering UAVs
- Improve recruitment

https://www.opex360.com/2023/02/21/la-serbie-est-prete-a-investir-3-milliards-deuros-pour-se-procurer-12-rafale-aupres-de-dassault-aviation/

[bojan]

Claimed to be scheduled to be done until end of 2024:

26 modernized M-84s (2 Cos)

26 modernized M-80 IFVs (2 Cos)

39 Lazar 8x8 APCs (3 Cos)

109 Milos M-16 4x4 armored vehicles

I an very sceptical.

Edited February 23, 2023 by bojan

[ink]

3 hours ago, alejandro_ said:

Serbia is going to increase defense spending for several programs:

- Rafale acquisition
- M-84/T-72 upgrade
- Milos and Lazar vehicles
- Loitering UAVs
- Improve recruitment

https://www.opex360.com/2023/02/21/la-serbie-est-prete-a-investir-3-milliards-deuros-pour-se-procurer-12-rafale-aupres-de-dassault-aviation/

Improving recruitment is one thing, improving retention quite another. Ensuring that the military has the best possible personnel would be far more beneficial all round than buying expensive kit. But then, it's harder for "interested parties" to get a cut of that kind of reform.

Anyway, the BBC says Serbia backs Russia's invasion of Ukraine:

 

[bojan]

BBC being lying scum, news at 11.

[urbanoid]

 

[ink]

It is worth bearing in mind that Ivana Stradner is the worst person to follow for any purpose. However, she's probably not wrong if she's hinting that this is a deliberate distraction from Vučić's problems in Belgrade.

If you want to understand anything in Serbian politics, let it be this: Vučić is fully supported and probably closely directed by his Western partners. Anything he does that looks like balancing East vs. West is just an illusion.

Edited May 30, 2023 by ink

[urbanoid]

I truly hope you're right about the second part.

[JWB]

 

[bojan]

Kosovo escalated it. Even their sponsors are embarrassed by it:

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/uk-france-italy-germany-us-condemn-kosovo-violence-2023-05-26/

https://www.state.gov/condemning-unilateral-actions-by-the-government-of-kosovo/

Rest is as Ink state, dog and pony show played by Vucic and Kurti whenever one or other has problems at home, but it looks like Kurti played it really badly this time.

Edited May 30, 2023 by bojan

[ink]

7 hours ago, urbanoid said:

I truly hope you're right about the second part.

I mean, even if I'm wrong, Serbia is a small country of very little significance on the world stage. It's only real geopolitical utility for the "international community" is that it's usually an easy place to stir up some shit.

[JWB]

Not perfectly geographically accurate but......

 

[ink]

5 minutes ago, JWB said:

Not perfectly geographically accurate but......

If you ask people in Vienna, Hungary is where the Balkans begin 😎

[JWB]

8 minutes ago, ink said:

If you ask people in Vienna, Hungary is where the Balkans begin 😎

No surprise. Every body there claims Hitler was German and Bach was Austrian. 😁

[Perun]

Does any one have "Balkan Battlegrounds" analysis or link to download it

[urbanoid]

39 minutes ago, Perun said:

Does any one have "Balkan Battlegrounds" analysis or link to download it

Link to the analysis or a link to the book? I can have a book in pdf in a minute or two, though the matter of sending it remains.

[Perun]

I prefere to download it if it is possible, thanks

@urbanoid

Edited July 12, 2023 by Perun

[urbanoid]

17 minutes ago, Perun said:

I prefere to download it if it is possible, thanks

@urbanoid

https://uploadnow.io/en/share?utm_source=BQknMvq