Vucic: As militarily neutral country, Serbia acting responsibly

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Monday that, as a militarily neutral country, Serbia was acting responsibly and that it had never attacked anyone, and added that an announced purchase of French-made Rafale fighter jets was aimed at demonstrating that Serbia would be a "tough nut to crack" for anyone.

Once the purchase was announced, all newspapers in the region carried the same reports claiming Serbia is breaching stability in the region, Vucic said, adding that a "dominant external influence" was evident in the reports.

"No such reports came out when the Croats acquired 12 used Rafales. Croatia is about twice less numerous than Serbia, and no one wondered what Croatia needs Rafales for. No one wondered why they are getting them, and no one said it was a breach of any kind of regional stability, or anything that would have a bad impact on the region," Vucic told the RTS, noting that Serbia's purchase of the jets was aimed at "strengthening our country, its position in the region and deterring any potential aggressor."