Serbia is threatened with losing its chance to join the European Union

The European Union has threatened Serbia with losing its chance to join the EU if it continues to buy Chinese weapons, according to the American financial, software and media company Bloomberg, citing an anonymous European official.

Serbia is the only European buyer of weapons from China. It has already modernized its arsenal, adding supersonic missiles manufactured in the Asian state. Belgrade is also considering upgrading its fighter jets in the near future.

Serbian President Alexandar Vučić plans to travel to China next week to discuss investments in the country, especially the production of robots and chips. He hopes the armed robots will be unveiled at a parade in Belgrade in June this year.

,,The EU has no legal basis to say: ,,You are not allowed to buy’’, as Serbia wants to respect its own commitment to create an integrated security infrastructure’’, the agency said, citing political experts.

However, Brussels is unlikely to enter into conflict with a state that has been a candidate for EU membership since 2012, especially given the ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as US President Donald Trump’s negative attitude towards its European NATO partners.

Many Serbian politicians, such as Miloš Jovanović, leader of Serbia’s New Democratic Party, believe that the country is on the right track thanks to close cooperation with an economic superpower like China, regardless of the position taken by officials in Brussels.