Selim Ibraimi- The European Commission (EC) has been debating the “SAFE” defense program credits. The EC initiative aims to strengthen the defense of member states. This is due to fears of Russian attacks. There are also growing doubts about the US withdrawal from European security. The EU and non-member states have realized in recent years that modernizing national armies is essential. They also understand that more budgetary allocations for this modernization are crucial. Without these, it is difficult to cope with foreign threats. Some senior EU officials have described the EC’s second initiative for more financial means as a huge financial burden. They believe it poses a great challenge for the union.
Thus Ursula von der Leyen, EC President, said on Thursday in Brussels that “the original scheme of 150 billion euros is so overstretched that some EU members are now asking for a second one.” However, Kaja Kallas, the EU’s top diplomat, gave a different assessment. She said on the X network that we need to build up European military capabilities quickly. “Strengthening European defense and supporting Ukraine are not separate paths.
They are priorities that reinforce each other. The phone call with defense colleagues from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and the United Kingdom highlighted our shared determination. We are committed to moving forward in both directions.” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also said in Berlin that European countries are Russia’s next target. “We are Russia’s next target. We must switch to a war mentality.
Ukraine must have what it needs to defend itself.” “Russia is losing 1,200 soldiers a day. If Putin is willing to sacrifice ordinary Russians like this, then what can he do to us?” “Eighty percent of the critical components in Russian drones and missiles are produced in China. China is a lifeline for Russia’s war. Russia is ready to use military force against NATO within five years.
The conflict is on our doorstep. We must be prepared for the scale of war that our grandparents and great-grandparents endured,” Rutte said in Berlin. European countries are rapidly changing their plans for a possible conflict. This change is out of fear or uncertainty. The militarization of the Balkans in the last decade has been a concern for pacifists. They always consider the region’s past in the 19th and 20th centuries.
But, nevertheless, governments have pursued such policies, starting with Croatia, Serbia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, etc., to strengthen defenses with multiple purposes. From the latest news, it is clear that everyone is preparing for war, and much less for peace. When Germany announced the strengthening of the army, the government in Berlin laid out plans. They plan to spend up to 377 billion euros on defense in the next five years. This announcement was welcomed by the Balkan countries. It supports their national discourse on the purchase of weapons from all countries without exception.
Countries need more modern weapons and equipment. This is intended to deter Russia. It also prepares the countries for more difficult times. One dilemma remains unclear, and that is the supervision of the use of new weapons. EU countries and Great Britain have some supervision over the way weapons are used. Balkan governments find it difficult to maintain a peaceful course. This is mainly due to their appetite for territory rather than defense. As a result, they leave room for a return to the ideas of the 19th and 20th centuries.
And precisely at a time when some American call for the weakening of the EU, all this militarization poses risks. It serves the function of divisions and limited tensions in the Balkans. The strengthening of defense has gone hand in hand with calls for military independence from the US. European countries and the UK have heard all these calls for a European army. Also, independent defense in the US is a topic. They need to take more action. They should not just talk.
As is known to date, all battalions of European armies are closely linked to the US Army. A European country that intends to break away from the US cannot act completely independently. This is true if it continues to keep intelligence and other assets in the American defense system. European governments almost easily ignored calls for a military awakening. However, this changed with the arrival of US President Donald Trump in 2025. Europe was then forced to consider the European army, increasing GDP for NATO, and implementing military programs for strengthening.
The alarm from the unpredictable behavior of President Trump’s administration, especially after the publication of the NSS (National Security Strategy), in the opinion of some former senior American officials, goes in favor of the Europeans themselves. David Petraeus, the former CIA director and four-star general in the US Army, told CNBC that it was not a bad thing for European countries to get a wake-up call to take care of their defense and security. This positive opinion about Europe has nuances. It cannot be said that it will have positive effects for the Balkan governments. They see the purchase of weapons and security as a means to attack neighboring countries.
European reactions to a European army, security, and armaments should be substantial. They should not be theatrical to show muscles in front of Russia and China. Some critics say that the EU is late in this regard. Ultimately, the debate and European initiatives in the field of defense should focus on policies to prevent attacks. In this regard, Croatia recently signed a 1.48 billion euro agreement to purchase 44 Leopard 2A8 tanks from Germany.
Kosovo, some time ago, made a significant purchase of military drones. Serbia is already recognized as a leader in purchasing advanced military equipment. The equipment is sourced from China, France, Israel, and European countries. It does not neglect its own industry, which has the capacity to produce weapons compared to other Balkan countries. There are concerns about whether the entire arms race will be beneficial. It can turn into a mentality that brings more harm. Sometimes, the great rearmament is also seen as a return to the old features of pre-1939. It also reflects a Cold War mentality.
After 1941, none of the military powers of the time knew the rules. They were all against each other. They used all types of weapons. During the Cold War, the USA and the USSR knew the rules and the red lines. Compared to the two previous historical stages, after 2022, the war mentality will become more unpredictable. This change will intensify as we approach the beginning of 2030. This will be accompanied by panic from countries that do not have military capabilities.
The situation is beneficial for the arms manufacturing industry. This industry is very good at producing everything for countries with warmongering appetites. Rearmament would help maintain balance and a certain fragile peace. It would allow control to prevent new conflicts on NATO’s eastern flank. It would also help in the Balkans and in other parts of the world.
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