Balkans on the Verge of Forming Two Opposing Military Blocs

• Shocking news from Pristina: Albania, Kosovo, and Croatia are joining forces to produce the first military armored vehicle "Shota"
• No one from the NATO alliance has yet commented on the announcement of new military unification in the Balkans

By: Fuad Đidić

The controversial document "Declaration on Trilateral Stability and Security," signed on March 18, 2025, in Tirana between Albania, Croatia, and Kosovo, has unexpectedly returned to the focus of the European public.

Not entirely by chance, in the last days of December 2025, a short news item was published in the Kosovar media announcing the launch of the first joint military project of this Balkan "trilateral," which has long been the subject of speculation about the true purpose of their alliance.

This involves the construction of a modern armored vehicle "Shota," designed in Albania, with plans to produce parts in Kosovo and later in Croatia. This modernly designed armored vehicle, which can accommodate a crew of at least 10 soldiers, is, according to military experts, the first concrete project uniting three Balkan countries.

Although there is no official confirmation yet, the Albanian armored vehicle project "Shota" has apparently been created with limited consulting assistance from Turkey and the USA in order to meet the criteria for competition in the global military equipment and arms market.

Thus, just nine months after its signing, this tripartite agreement has taken the shape of the first serious Balkan military alliance with prospects for further concrete unification.

The final confirmation of the realization of this project was given by Ejup Maqedonci, Kosovo's acting Minister of Defense, on December 26, during the show "60 Minutes" on Pristina's television KTV, when he triumphantly announced this first joint project. All of this will take place within the aforementioned, previously signed tripartite alliance, Maqedonci stated.

It is interesting how some Sarajevo-based military experts have persistently downplayed the significance and role of this "trilateral," especially when faced with public remarks that BiH could also seek its place in such an alliance through its own defense industry.

Some European media outlets, in their yesterday's editions, are reporting Ejup Maqedonci's statement. "I am giving you an exclusive statement. We have reached a preliminary agreement on the joint development of the 'Shota,' an armored vehicle designed in Albania and which will be produced in Albania and Kosovo. We are in the discussion phase, but it will be concluded by a bilateral agreement. Why are we waiting for that document? After all, we intend to include Croatia, and for the first time in the Balkans, three countries will jointly produce a military armored vehicle, which will be used for the needs of the three armies and for export. In the initial talks, we agreed that one part would be produced in Kosovo, one in Albania, and one in Croatia," Maqedonci said on the show "60 Minutes" on KTV.

During this interview, Maqedonci also announced that Albania had received American "Javelin" missiles a few days ago after signing a contract a year earlier, while Kosovo will likely secure a quantity from the contingent ordered from the United States this year.

Ukrainian armored vehicle manufacturers, in yesterday's edition of "Defence Express," emphasize that the most significant fact is that the armored vehicle is of Balkan origin. However, assessments that the "Shota" vehicle could represent the basis for Balkan unification sound a bit hasty and unjustified.

It is quite likely that this project will accelerate the military rapprochement of Serbia with Hungary and Greece on the other side. This is evidenced by the panicked statements this morning from Vučić about arming Pristina and creating military alliances against Serbia.

However, that is not the case. Our public should be reminded that during the meeting of the Greek Minister of Defense Dendias in Belgrade in mid-November 2025, joint military exercises between the Serbian forces with Greece and Cyprus were already agreed upon. (Greece and Cyprus signed a Declaration on Military Alliance with Israel in Jerusalem on December 25, 2025, thus creating a unique anti-Turkish coalition).

Furthermore, "Defence Express" positively assesses the announcement of the joint production of the armored vehicle "Shota," although it expresses skepticism about its competitiveness on the global market, as it has not been tested in combat operations like some other armored vehicles.

The joint project "Shota" represents the tip of the iceberg not only of the military fragmentation of the Balkans - the creation of two opposing military blocs, but it is also an indicator of the enormous growth in the defense capabilities of individual countries in the region, about which we have little knowledge.

This project gains particular weight from the fact that it comes at a time of growing uncertainty about the fate of NATO in Europe and its further destiny, caused by the leadership crisis within this organization.

It is significant that none of the high-ranking NATO officials, not even Secretary General Mark Rutte himself, have commented on the formation of the tripartite alliance of two NATO members, Croatia and Albania, with Kosovo, leaving us in doubt - is this part of NATO's Balkan strategy, or is it simply a response from the region that they do not have sufficient security to rely on NATO forces.

In the end, the question remains: does the "Shota" project hide the green light from NATO, especially the USA, which is sending "Javelin" missiles and "Black Hawk" helicopters to Albania and Kosovo this year, with the ultimate goal of this "trilateral" gaining much stronger contours in confronting the imperial ambitions of Serbia and its Russian or Chinese military patrons.