Serbia plans to buy French Dassault Rafale fighter jets worth €3 billion. It is the largest European arms deal for Belgrade after decades of dependence on Russian aircraft.
The Financial Times writes about it.
The contract should be signed in the next two months, Serbian President Aleksandr Vučić said. French fighters will strengthen Serbiaʼs combat capabilities. As the representative of the Ministry of Defense of Serbia told the newspaper, the agreement has already been completed by 90%, but now the financial conditions are being discussed.
Due to Russiaʼs war against Ukraine, the diversification of Serbian weapons source markets accelerated. The country admits that it is impossible to buy Russian equipment because of "geopolitical circumstances."
In addition to fighter jets, Serbia purchased radar and missile systems from France and ordered Airbus transport aircraft. A representative of the Serbian Ministry of Defense told reporters that the Soviet MiG-29 aircraft in service with Serbia are reaching the end of their service life. Along with the French fighters, the Serbian Air Force will also receive air-to-air missiles from Paris.
- Serbia is traditionally one of Russiaʼs closest allies in Europe. It also has close economic ties with the Russian Federation. Since the beginning of the Russiaʼs full-scale invasion in Ukraine, Serbia resists pressure from the European Union and does not introduce sanctions against Russia, although it is a candidate country for joining the EU and for this it must pursue a joint foreign policy with the European Union.