Barzani says he believes Türkiye is “very serious” about ending the decades-long conflict with the PKK after meeting with President Erdogan, calling it a “historic opportunity”.

Barzani urged the PKK to take steps rather than “wait for Ankara,” warning that failure to act would “disappoint even Leader Öcalan” and “cause a major blow to Kurds and the process.”

He emphasized patience and unity, stressing that Qandil “knows what to do but fails to do it,” adding that the time for “games” is over.

The Syrians said, ‘Come and rebuild Syria’ — with our own money.

Bashar promised repayment through assets but delivered “ruins and empty land”.

They gave us 5,000 hectares but no water rights… phosphate we couldn’t export… a dairy farm with no cows… an oil well that wasn’t even a well.

Assad later said, ‘Even if you find oil, you must pay 12.5% to Syria.’

Serbia ordered 1,000 kamikaze drones from Iran in 2023. In 2025, it made significant purchases from Israel's Elbit Systems: a $335 million rocket and drone deal in January, and a $1.6 billion PULS (Precise and Universal Launching System) multiple launch rocket system in August.

This autonomous platform is designed for precision strikes with a range of up to 300 km and can fire various rocket types.

Since 2023, arms trade between Serbia and Israel has surged over 3,000%, making Serbia one of Israel’s key wartime suppliers—even under EU pressure to halt exports.

“We will not stop helping Israel,” President Vučić said, defending the deals as “strategic, not political.”

Belgrade Demonstration

The new systems were first displayed publicly at the "Power of Unity" military parade in Belgrade on September 20, 2025; the Hermes 900 UAVs and PULS launchers were among the most prominent.

So, why is Serbia—described by Vučić as a "small Balkan country"—buying so many weapons?

Purchases include:
— Russian MiG-29 jets, tanks, and helicopters
— Chinese armed drones
— French SAM systems
— Negotiations for Israeli anti-tank missiles

Serbia now outspends all its ex-Yugoslav neighbors combined—including Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, and Kosovo.

Source: The Economist