Serbia’s leader defends right to buy weapons where he wants

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbia’s president says his country will continue arming itself with Russian, Chinese and other weapons despite fears that the Balkan country’s recent military buildup could lead to more tensions in the region. President Aleksandar Vucic said Serbia was a “free and independent nation” that would not seek outside opinions about where it sources weapons. He spoke on Tuesday while opening an arms fair that coincided with a two-day summit marking the 60th anniversary of the first conference of non-aligned nations. Serbia is widely blamed for triggering the bloody breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s with its nationalist policies. The country lately has armed itself mostly with Russian and Chinese warplanes, drones and anti-aircraft systems.