According to the Serbian president, his country will have to make some difficult choices in the future.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said that Serbia is still committed to joining the European Union. Thus, the Serbian leader hinted that his country could decide on the choice of side in the Russian-Ukrainian war, writes Politico.
The authors of the publication note that many are outraged by Serbia’s refusal to join the anti-Russian sanctions. In addition, there are a large number of Russian citizens in the country who enjoy a visa-free regime with Serbia and favorable conditions for staying in the country.
On the sidelines of the recent Munich Security Conference, Vučić told the media that it was time to rethink his position. Earlier, he also noted that Serbia “fell between a rock and a hard place.”
“You will get one offer from me: Serbia will remain on its way to the EU. Okay, draw your own conclusions. But I think you understand me,” Vucic told reporters.
Aleksandar Vucic also added that in the future his country will be forced to make “several difficult choices.”
The publication pointed out that earlier Vucic proudly announced the influx of foreign investment, which for the most part came from the European Union. According to journalists, Serbia’s commitment to the “European way” will play a decisive role in the country’s economy.
Serbia has a large number of supporters of Moscow
Journalists note that not all Serbs aspire to join the EU. According to a poll conducted four months after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, 51% of Serbian citizens tend to reject EU membership, while 34% hold the opposite opinion. According to the poll, Russian President Vladimir Putin is popular among Serbs.
A New Third Way poll conducted in July last year showed 66% of Serbs prefer the Russian Federation over the European Union, and 40% want to stop negotiations on joining the EU altogether. In addition, 59% believe the West is to blame for the war in Ukraine.
“Thus, it is not clear how Vucic can leave Russia and embrace Europe with all his heart – even if he really wants to,” the authors of the publication concluded.
Recall that on March 1, an interview with Oleksandr Vučić was published by Politico, in which the politician promised to punish the Serbs fighting in Ukraine for the Wagner PMC. The Serbian President stressed that friendly countries do not recruit citizens of other states.
A February 20 Bloomberg report says that Aleksandar Vucic announced his intention to increase defense spending and abandon Russian MiG aircraft in favor of French ones.
We also wrote that the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were armed with Serbian rockets for the Grad MLRS with a range of up to 40 km. Serbia is believed to have sold 3,500 missiles to a third party who handed them over to Ukraine.
