Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić warned on Tuesday night that a war between Europe and Russia is becoming “increasingly likely,” citing mounting military preparations across the continent and vowing to continue strengthening Serbia’s defenses, especially its air-defense capabilities. He said Serbia would strive to build a “protective dome” over its territory, while cautioning that such a project would be technically demanding and expensive.
According to Politika’s report, Vučić made the remarks during an appearance on commercial broadcaster TV Pink. He tied his concerns to recent comments by France’s military leadership and to a broader surge in European rearmament.
“We must prepare,” Vučić said, explaining that Serbia would “continue to invest heavily” to better protect the country. “Above all, we will try to build a kind of protective dome over Serbia, which is very difficult and requires a lot of money,” he added, declining to discuss specific plans. The president argued that his assessment rests on “lining up facts,” not alarmism, noting that before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine he had predicted a conflict and “many laughed.” He insisted he was not advancing a personal narrative but rather reading trends he sees as unmistakable.
Vučić anchored his warning to remarks attributed to General Fabien Mandon, chief of the French Armed Forces’ General Staff, who has said France must be ready for a “shock from Russia in the next three to four years,” amid concerns Moscow could be tempted to extend its war on the European continent. “If Mandon said that—and I know how restrained, responsible, and serious he always is—then I fear things have gone too far in every sense,” Vučić said, calling the French officer “a sincere friend of Serbia” with whom he has spoken twice. He argued Europe’s accelerating defense posture is mirrored across the region: “You can see everyone is preparing.” He pointed to Germany’s plan to invest 377 billion over five years to equip its armed forces—not a routine budget, he stressed—as well as stepped-up efforts in Romania, Poland, Finland, and Russia.
From such momentum, Vučić warned, “only conflict can come out.” He said he would be “the happiest” if events proved him wrong. “If there is no war, I’ll make the biggest fireworks in the world and say we’re celebrating the wrong assessment of Aleksandar Vučić,” he said, before adding: “I’m only afraid there will be no fireworks.” Serbia, he concluded, is “between a hammer and an anvil” and must avoid being caught when the hammer falls.
Despite the grim outlook, Vučić framed his stance as defensive and pragmatic: “Serbia must continue to equip and strengthen its army. We have armed ourselves smartly. We must do everything to protect our people and our country from any potential aggressor.”