US Embassy: Serbia chose the West by participating in a military exercise with NATO members

By deciding to be a part of the "Platinum Wolf 23" military exercise, in which members of the armed forces of some NATO members would participate, Serbia had made a choice to be a part of the West, the US Embassy in Belgrade said.

"Serbia has made a choice to be a part of the West, and that includes further integration with Euro-Atlantic security structures and military partners," a US embassy spokesperson told Radio Free Europe (RFE).

The embassy also said that "greater integration of Serbia into Euro-Atlantic security structures" would shorten Serbia's path "to final membership in the European Union."

The Ministry of Defense of Serbia confirmed to RFE/RL that "it is undertaking all the necessary activities for the preparation and realization of the international exercise" which would be held in the south of Serbia from June 14 to 30.

The US would participate in the "Platinum Wolf 23" military exercise with 100 soldiers, the US Embassy in Belgrade said.

The spokesman of the embassy stated that this exercise was "directly relevant to Serbia's existing participation in missions around the world."

"And the more we practice together, the more effective we will be in achieving our common goal, regional peace and stability, and preserving Europe as a whole, free and at peace," he added.

By deciding to hold the "Platinum Wolf 23" exercise, the Serbian authorities made an exception to the moratorium on holding military exercises with foreign partners, both from the East and the West, which has been in effect since February 2022, since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

While the US welcomed Serbia's decision, the Kremlin announced that the exercise "will not go unnoticed" in Russia.

"As for the exercises, we will certainly monitor them very carefully," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on April 6.

Two months ago, the right-wing Serbian movement Dveri called for the cancellation of the exercise, but the Minister of Defense Milos Vucevic rejected that request, saying that the exercise "does not represent a precedent, but a continuation of international cooperation that benefits the Serbian Army and contributes to improving its operational capability."

The tactical exercise "Platinum Wolf 23" will be held at the military base "South" near Bujanovac, with the participation of the armies of Serbia, the US, and 10 other partner countries.

The "Platinum Wolf" exercise has been carried out seven times on the territory of Serbia since 2014. The aim of the exercise is to maintain the achieved level of interoperability of units of the Serbian Armed Forces for participation in multinational operations.