Aleksandar Vučić is again speaking about war at a moment when the strongest pressure on him is not coming from abroad, but from within Serbia itself. His message that Serbia today is “much stronger,” that it now “has the means to go to war,” but that he personally will not lead the country into conflict, follows the classic formula of a leader who first creates the image of danger and then presents himself as the only figure capable of controlling it.
The immediate backdrop is his upcoming visit to China, which he describes as one of the most important trips of his political career. Together with Xi Jinping, Vučić says he will discuss robotics, artificial intelligence, military-technical cooperation, the economy, infrastructure and education. On paper, it sounds like a development agenda. In political practice, however, Vučić is using the visit to send two parallel messages: externally, that Serbia has powerful allies and is not isolated; internally, that his rule guarantees strength, stability and peace.
That duality lies at the core of Vučić’s political language. He is not simply saying that Serbia is arming itself for defense. He is turning the military into proof that the state has “returned,” that it was once weak but is now capable of responding to threats. In that framework, criticism of Vučić can easily be reframed as criticism of the state, the army or national security itself.
Serbia has indeed invested heavily in military modernization. In recent years, Belgrade has purchased equipment from Europe, Israel and China, while Vučić in April 2026 called for the creation of offensive drone units. Reuters reported that Serbia now spends 3.3% of GDP on defense, buying drones, missiles, helicopters, transport aircraft and French-made Rafale fighter jets, while neighbors such as Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo increasingly view the military buildup as a potential risk to regional stability.
China occupies a special place in that picture. Serbia has already confirmed the purchase of Chinese CM-400AKG missiles, becoming the first European country to deploy such systems. The deal is not only military, but also geopolitical: while Belgrade formally remains a candidate for European Union membership, in security and political terms it continues to deepen ties with Beijing while maintaining its long-standing balance with Moscow.