Latest news with #AleksandarVučić
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Serbia's Pres. Vucic to 'Post': I asked my Arab friends to save Israeli hostage Alon Ohel
In an exclusive and wide-ranging interview at the Presidential Palace in Belgrade, President Vučić touched on Serbia-Israel relations, the Gaza war, Serbia's EXPO 2027 exposition, and more. BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić revealed to The Jerusalem Post last week that he personally appealed to Arab leaders to help secure the release of Israeli-Serbian citizen Alon Ohel, who was abducted by Hamas during the October 7 massacre and held in Gaza for more than 600 days. 'I met his family several times,' Vučić said as part of an exclusive and wide-ranging interview at the Presidential Palace in Belgrade. 'I was so touched by the way they were presenting the case of their son and grandson when they were here. They were so proud and so dignified. They were doing everything in a solemn, serious way, doing everything to help.' The young dual-national was attending the Nova music festival near Re'im when Hamas terrorists stormed into Israel, and last week passed 600 days in captivity. His family revealed in April that they had received information from released hostages that Ohel was now blind in one eye. 'Alon is injured. He lost sight in one eye, and we know that his other eye can be saved,' his father, Kobi Ohel, said at the time. Taken captive on October 7 from the 'death shelter' along with additional hostages, including Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Ohel sustained shrapnel wounds from some of the grenades thrown into the shelter, his mother, Idit, said. He was then physically abused and tortured, his mother said, adding that he received 'disgraceful treatment from Hamas – a 19-year-old sewed him up with needle and thread, with no pain killer.' Vučić described his quiet but determined efforts behind the scenes to gather information and plead for assistance. 'I asked some of my friends in the Middle East for help, and we got some info that he was alive,' Vučić shared. 'Of course, you never know. It is terribly difficult conveying this type of message to the mother who is waiting for her son. But I said to her, 'I cannot guarantee it, but we have information that he is alive.' And then we got official information that he was alive, that he was injured and passing through difficult times.' Vučić added that Serbia had done all it could within its limited capacity, emphasizing the importance of international cooperation in such cases. 'We will always do our best. He is our citizen, he is an Israeli citizen. He is just a young man who has the right to live. We have some friends in the Arab world too, good friends, and I am begging those people to help take care of that young guy and free him as soon as possible. I was really begging my friends for his life.' Vučić has developed excellent ties with many Arab countries during his presidency, most notably United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The Serbian leader reserved special praise for Ohel's family. 'His family is amazing—his grandparents. That was the first time I saw how Israelis and Jewish people are able to bear that type of burden on their shoulders. It was not an easy meeting at all, but this is what I saw. What can you say to a mother who is waiting for her son, and not disappoint their expectations?' Reflecting on the circumstances of Ohel's abduction, Vučić added: 'These people are civilians. Being present at a music festival, listening to the music—that was their biggest sin.' Vučić's comments come amid increasingly warm ties between Serbia and Israel. Israeli President Isaac Herzog visited Belgrade in September 2024, and earlier this year, Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Đurić made an official visit to Israel, reinforcing diplomatic cooperation between the two nations. The full interview with President Vučić, covering Serbia-Israel relations, the Gaza war, Belgrade's EXPO 2027 exposition, and more, will be published later this week in The Jerusalem Post.
Euronews
21 hours ago
- Business
- Euronews
Russia accuses Serbia of 'stabbing Moscow in the back' by arming Kyiv
Russia accused Serbia of exporting arms to Ukraine, calling it a "stab in the back" from one of Moscow's longest-standing European allies. The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) issued a statement on Thursday claiming that "Serbian defence enterprises, contrary to the 'neutrality' declared by official Belgrade, continue to supply ammunition to Kyiv.' The statement alleged that the export of the Serbian arms to Ukraine was going through NATO intermediaries, "primarily the Czech Republic, Poland and Bulgaria." "Recently, exotic options involving African states have also been used for this purpose," SVR said. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić denied the accusations on Friday, saying that although the contract with the Czech Republic does exist, it does not allow exporting the materiel to another country. "For example, they correctly say that there is a contract with the Czech Republic. But no permission was given, and none of the (ammunition) was delivered" to Ukraine, Vučić told Serbian state broadcaster RTS. He added that he had already discussed the issue of arms exports to Ukraine with Russian President Vladimir Putin recently and that it was agreed that Moscow and Belgrade would create a "working group" to establish how Serbian-made weapons reached Ukraine. This is not the first time Vučić has had to respond to similar claims. The Financial Times reported in June 2024 that Serbian ammunition worth €750 million has made its way indirectly to Ukraine. In March, Belgrade denied it exported arms to Kyiv after Moscow demanded to know if it had delivered thousands of rockets for Ukraine's defence against Russia's all-out invasion. Serbian arms' presence in Ukraine, mostly Soviet-era calibre ammunition adopted as standard and manufactured in the former Yugoslavia, has been publicly discussed since 2023, but it is unclear why the Russian foreign security service decided to react now. The SVR has claimed that the arms sales are being carried out through a "simple scheme using fake end-user certificates and intermediary countries" serving as "a cover for anti-Russian actions". The accusations out of Moscow went even further to say that "the contribution of Serbian defence industry workers to the war unleashed by the West, the outcome of which Europe would like to see as a 'strategic defeat' of Russia, amounts to hundreds of thousands of shells ... as well as a million rounds of ammunition for small arms". 'It seems that the desire of Serbian defence industry workers and their patrons to profit from the blood of fraternal Slavic peoples has made them completely forget who their real friends are and who their enemies are," the statement said. Vučić stated that the attacks on Serbia from the East and the West are "frequent" because Belgrade "leads autonomous and independent policies". Serbia is one of the countries in the Western Balkans that is considered a major candidate for EU membership. At the same time, Vučić has maintained close ties with Russia, including after Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He was among a handful of European leaders to attend Putin's Victory Day parade in Moscow on 9 May, a decision Vučić defended by saying he was there to celebrate Serbia's participation in liberating the continent from fascism in World War II. Serbia also refused to join Western sanctions on Russia and hasn't supported most EU statements condemning Moscow's full-scale invasion, although it voted in favour of its condemnation at the UN.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Behind Putin's Back, Serbia Armed Russia's Biggest Enemy with $900 Million in Missiles? Moscow Fumes
Russia has accused its traditional Slavic ally Serbia of betraying their relationship by supplying over $900 million worth of missiles and arms to Ukraine. According to the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), at least seven major Serbian defense companies have covertly sent hundreds of thousands of rockets and millions of small arms cartridges to Ukraine, often using fake end-user certificates and routing shipments through NATO intermediaries such as the Czech Republic, Poland, and Bulgaria. Russia described these transfers as a "stab in the back," but Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has denied these allegations.
Euronews
2 days ago
- Business
- Euronews
Russia accuses Serbia of ‘stabbing Moscow in the back' by arming Kyiv
Russia accused Serbia of exporting arms to Ukraine, calling it a "stab in the back" from one of Moscow's longest-standing European allies. The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) issued a statement on Thursday claiming that "Serbian defence enterprises, contrary to the 'neutrality' declared by official Belgrade, continue to supply ammunition to Kyiv.' The statement alleged that the export of the Serbian arms to Ukraine was going through NATO intermediaries, "primarily the Czech Republic, Poland and Bulgaria." "Recently, exotic options involving African states have also been used for this purpose," SVR said. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić denied the accusations on Friday, saying that although the contract with the Czech Republic does exist, it does not allow exporting the materiel to another country. "For example, they correctly say that there is a contract with the Czech Republic. But no permission was given, and none of the (ammunition) was delivered" to Ukraine, Vučić told Serbian state broadcaster RTS. He added that he had already discussed the issue of arms exports to Ukraine with Russian President Vladimir Putin recently and that it was agreed that Moscow and Belgrade would create a "working group" to establish how Serbian-made weapons reached Ukraine. This is not the first time Vučić has had to respond to similar claims. The Financial Times reported in June 2024 that Serbian ammunition worth €750 million has made its way indirectly to Ukraine. In March, Belgrade denied it exported arms to Kyiv after Moscow demanded to know if it had delivered thousands of rockets for Ukraine's defence against Russia's all-out invasion. Serbian arms' presence in Ukraine, mostly Soviet-era calibre ammunition adopted as standard and manufactured in the former Yugoslavia, has been publicly discussed since 2023, but it is unclear why the Russian foreign security service decided to react now. The SVR has claimed that the arms sales are being carried out through a "simple scheme using fake end-user certificates and intermediary countries" serving as "a cover for anti-Russian actions". The accusations out of Moscow went even further to say that "the contribution of Serbian defence industry workers to the war unleashed by the West, the outcome of which Europe would like to see as a 'strategic defeat' of Russia, amounts to hundreds of thousands of shells ... as well as a million rounds of ammunition for small arms". 'It seems that the desire of Serbian defence industry workers and their patrons to profit from the blood of fraternal Slavic peoples has made them completely forget who their real friends are and who their enemies are," the statement said. Vučić stated that the attacks on Serbia from the East and the West are "frequent" because Belgrade "leads autonomous and independent policies". Serbia is one of the countries in the Western Balkans that is considered a major candidate for EU membership. At the same time, Vučić has maintained close ties with Russia, including after Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He was among a handful of European leaders to attend Putin's Victory Day parade in Moscow on 9 May, a decision Vučić defended by saying he was there to celebrate Serbia's participation in liberating the continent from fascism in World War II. Serbia also refused to join Western sanctions on Russia and hasn't supported most EU statements condemning Moscow's full-scale invasion, although it voted in favour of its condemnation at the UN.
Spectator
2 days ago
- Business
- Spectator
Has Serbia really fallen foul of Moscow?
Is it getting harder for Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić to maintain his balancing act between Moscow and the West? Why else, after all, would Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) suddenly revive a year-old story about covert arms supplies to Ukraine? Back in June of last year, the Financial Times splashed the story that Serbia had exported around €800 million (£673 million) worth of ammunition to third parties that then ended up being transferred to Ukraine. At the time, Vučić did not try to deny this, but said that it had nothing to do with Serbia. 'We have had many contracts with Americans, Spaniards, Czechs, others,' he said. 'What they do with that in the end is their job.' This is nonsense. Ammunition, like weapons, is covered by the international system of end-use certificates, which control their re-export. It is, of course, possible for unscrupulous facilitators to find some loopholes in the system, but €800 million worth? Hardly.
