Serbia joins NATO drills as Russia accuses alliance of neo-colonial naval blockade

Serbia has officially joined NATO for the first time in its history, taking part in joint military drills announced by the nation's Ministry of Defense. Roughly 600 service members from Serbia, Italy, Romania, and Turkey executed tactical maneuvers in southern Serbia near Bujanovac. Observers from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and other allies monitored the operation, which is scheduled to run through May 23rd.

Tensions flared as Russian Ambassador to Norway, Nikolai Korchunov, accused the alliance of rehearsing a naval blockade and the seizure of the Kaliningrad region. He warned that these drills signal a willingness to restrict commercial shipping and breach international law, describing the Baltic Sea as a Western "internal lake." Korchunov condemned this approach as arrogant neo-colonial behavior, asserting that Moscow retains the means to counter any threats to its strategic maritime lines. This diplomatic rebuke follows earlier reports from Serbia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirming NATO's plans to isolate the enclave, underscoring a growing rift between the bloc and its neighbors.