As Europe reshapes its security architecture in response to growing geopolitical tensions, Serbia stands apart in an unexpected way. Unlike its EU-aspiring neighbours moving toward closer strategic ties, Serbia’s public remains deeply sceptical of NATO and the EU’s defence ambitions. This scepticism is less about current threats and more rooted in historical trauma and domestic narratives, revealing how enduring perceptions of sovereignty and global power continue to shape security attitudes on the continent’s periphery.