Serbia
China Backs €100.5M Serbian Battery Plant for Drones
China’s Jiangsu Reliance Energy Tech will invest €100.5 million in a Serbian battery plant supplying drones, robots and unmanned vehicles.
Western Balkans
Bosnia and Herzegovina
EUFOR Tests Rapid Reinforcement in Bosnia During Quick Response 2026
EUFOR is testing rapid reinforcement across Bosnia and Herzegovina in Quick Response 2026, integrating reserve forces, airlift and multinational units.
Western Balkans
Mapping the Western Balkans' Growing Drone Ecosystem
From Croatia's Orqa to Serbia's Elbit joint venture and Kosovo's Skifteri, the Western Balkans is fast becoming a serious unmanned systems production hub. Here is who builds what.
Serbia
Zelensky Expected in Serbia as Belgrade and Kyiv Deepen Ties
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to visit Serbia in what would be his first trip to Belgrade since Russia's full-scale invasion. The visit could signal a further expansion of economic and political cooperation between the two countries.
Albania
Albania Delivers First NATO-Standard Military Vehicles Built at Home
Albania has delivered the first 40 NATO-standard tactical vehicles assembled domestically by TIMAK Defence, marking the operational debut of the country's renewed defense manufacturing sector through a public-private partnership with state-owned KAYO.
Analysis
The Rearmament Boom Nobody Is Auditing
Europe is rearming faster than it is reforming. Across CEE and SEE, secret procurement, weak oversight, and stagnant anti-corruption scores are turning the defense spending surge into a governance crisis.
Montenegro
Montenegro, Czech Republic Sign Bilateral Defense Cooperation Agreement
Montenegro and the Czech Republic signed a bilateral defense cooperation agreement during a meeting in Prague between Montenegrin Defense Minister Dragan Krapović and Czech Defense Minister Jaromír Zůna.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
NATO and Bosnia and Herzegovina Hold Talks on Expanding Cooperation
NATO officials and representatives from Bosnia and Herzegovina held discussions in Brussels focused on strengthening practical cooperation and partnership activities. The meeting addressed reform priorities, regional security, and ongoing collaboration under NATO partnership frameworks.
Western Balkans
How Western Balkans Countries Can Access the EU's €150 Billion SAFE Defence Fund
Europe is rearming at a pace not seen since the Cold War. At the centre of this transformation is the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) instrument — a €150 billion EU defence financing mechanism that entered into force in May 2025. While SAFE loans are reserved exclusively for EU member states,
NATO
NATO Leaders Approve Historic Increase in Defence Spending to 5% of GDP by 2035
The decision marks a major shift in Allied defence policy, aiming to strengthen deterrence, resilience, and transatlantic industrial cooperation.