Latest news with #Vulin
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Serbia forms new government, expels top pro-Russian figure amid EU pressure
Serbia's parliament approved the composition of a new government led by Prime Minister Djuro Macut on April 16, Serbian state broadcaster RTS reported. While President Aleksandar Vucic had previously promised sweeping personnel changes, most ministers retained their posts. The most notable shift was the removal of Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin, a longtime pro-Russian figure who has served in the Serbian government since 2013. In late March, EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos publicly urged Serbian leaders not to include him in the new cabinet, saying, "Someone who behaves anti-European cannot lead Serbia to the European Union at the same time." The commissioner's remarks followed an interview in which Vulin thanked Russian security services for allegedly aiding Serbian authorities in suppressing student protests. Join our community Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight. Support Us Over the past decade, Vulin has held roles as defense minister, interior minister, and head of Serbia's Security and Information Agency, the main intelligence service. Vulin is known for his outspoken opposition to EU integration and repeated visits to Moscow, where he voiced support for the Kremlin. In 2022, the U.S. sanctioned Vulin over corruption, international drug trafficking, and assisting "Russia's malign activities in the Balkans." The official has repeatedly dismissed Serbia's EU bid, suggesting the country should instead join BRICS. He also accused Brussels of trying to overthrow Vucic following deadly protests triggered by the collapse of a train station canopy in Novi Sad, which killed 16 people. Serbia has officially been an EU candidate since 2012, but democratic backsliding, unresolved tensions over Kosovo, and close ties with Moscow have stalled its progress. On April 16, Vucic confirmed plans to attend Russian President Vladimir Putin's May 9 Victory Parade in Moscow despite EU officials' warnings that the visit could further jeopardize Serbia's accession talks. The annual parade is widely seen as a propaganda event highlighting Russia's military power. Read also: Russia calls Ukraine ceasefire 'unrealistic' despite Trump's peace efforts We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Russia Today
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Russia to probe ‘sonic weapon' incident
The Serbian government is preparing for a visit from a group of Russian experts to probe allegations regarding the deployment of a 'sonic weapon' during recent mass protests, Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin has announced. The opposition Freedom and Justice Party (SSP) has accused security forces of utilizing a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD), a crowd-control technology originally designed by the US Navy, which poses a significant risk of hearing damage. The incident occurred on March 15 during mass protests in the capital, Belgrade, which the government has claimed are foreign-instigated efforts to undermine its authority through popular unrest. In an interview with RTS on Wednesday, Vulin rejected the claims that LRAD had been deployed and announced that specialists from Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) will arrive in Serbia to conduct an inquiry. Read more Serbia blames 'US deep state' for mass protests 'Their task is to clarify what transpired. We have nothing to conceal,' Vulin stated, emphasizing Belgrade's commitment to a thorough investigation in hopes of moving beyond the controversy. President Aleksandar Vucic's government has alleged that the US 'deep state' and European intelligence agencies are inciting the wave of protests in retaliation for Serbia's refusal to endorse anti-Russian policies. The EU has insisted that Belgrade align its foreign policy with Brussels, before a Serbian bid to join the bloc could proceed. The ongoing protests stem from a tragic event in Novi Sad last November, where 16 lives were lost due to the collapse of a concrete canopy at a railway station, leading to multiple resignations among senior officials. The demonstration on March 15 represented the peak of the pressure campaign. Claims of the 'sonic weapon' deployment were propagated by the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy (BCSP), a USAID-funded NGO supported by George Soros' Open Society Foundations.
Russia Today
23-03-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Serbia blames ‘US deep state' for mass protests
Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin has accused the US 'deep state' and European intelligence agencies of orchestrating mass protests in his country. Serbia has seen months of student-led anti-government demonstrations initially triggered by the deadly collapse of a concrete canopy at the Novi Sad railway station last November, which claimed 15 lives. This led to public outrage throughout the country and prompted the resignation of several high-ranking officials, including Prime Minister Milos Vucevic. The demonstrators have since been calling for systemic government reforms, with the protests culminating in a massive rally in Belgrade on March 15, described as one of the largest in Serbia's recent history. Read more Serbia reiterates stance on Russia sanctions 'The color revolution in Serbia was organized by the US deep state – the same one that is trying to disrupt President [Donald] Trump's [Ukraine] peace initiatives – as well as several European intelligence services,' Vulin told TASS news agency on Saturday during a visit to Moscow. The unrest was orchestrated to instigate the overthrow of the government, he said. Vulin claimed that Western entities targeting Serbia are also behind actions against President Milorad Dodik of the Republika Srpska, the predominantly Serb region within Bosnia and Herzegovina. Dodik, who has close ties with the Serbian authorities, was sentenced to one year in prison by an EU-backed court in Sarajevo last month for allegedly defying the authority of international envoy Christian Schmidt. 'These simultaneous attacks have one goal – the destruction of Serbia and the coming to power of politicians in the country who will fulfill all the demands of the West, including the introduction of sanctions against Russia,' Vulin, whose country has opposed sanctions linked with the Ukraine conflict and retained close economic ties with Moscow, stated. READ MORE: Dozens injured in Belgrade protests (VIDEOS) His words echoed earlier remarks made by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who has voiced concerns about foreign interference, accusing opposition forces of collaborating with Western, Croatian, and Albanian intelligence agencies to overthrow his government. He vowed, however, that he would not back down. The resignation of the prime minister earlier this week triggered a 30-day deadline for Vucic to appoint a new prime minister-designate to lead the government until 2027, when both parliamentary and presidential elections are scheduled. Vucic said last Sunday that if a new government is not formed within 30 days of Vucevic's resignation, he will be forced to call early elections, likely to be held in June.
Russia Today
22-03-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Serbia facing ‘color revolution'
Serbia is confronting the threat of a 'color revolution,' Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin has said. He accused Western security services of orchestrating unrest to instigate an overthrow of the government similar to Ukraine's 2014 Maidan coup. Student-led demonstrations against alleged corruption and government negligence have been ongoing in Serbia for months. The protests, sparked by the deadly collapse of a concrete canopy at the railway station in the city of Novy Sad in November 2024, culminated in a massive rally in Belgrade on March 15, which was followed by clashes between dozens of protesters and the police. 'A color revolution is taking place in Belgrade,' Vulin said on Saturday, during a meeting in Moscow with the secretary of the Russian National Security Council, Sergey Shoigu. 'Western security services are behind the color revolution as they want to put a new government in power,' he said, adding that the Serbian authorities 'would not allow it.' Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has previously accused foreign actors of fueling unrest in order to destabilize the country, claiming that opposition forces were collaborating with Western, Croatian, and Albanian intelligence agencies to overthrow his government. Read more Dozens injured in Belgrade protests (VIDEOS) According to Vulin, the West seeks to 'destroy Serbia.' He also said he believes the pressure exerted against his nation is linked to Belgrade's position on relations with Russia. Serbia has not joined the Western sanctions against Moscow over the Ukraine conflict and 'never will,' according to the deputy prime minister. The forces behind the unrest could instigate further 'radicalization' of the protests 'soon,' Vulin warned. 'Those who organized [the March 15 rally] would like to see a 'Maidan' and are working on making that happen,' he told Shoigu. The 2013-2014 Maidan protests in Kiev led to the ousting of Ukraine's democratically elected president, Viktor Yanukovich, and ultimately paved the way for the current conflict. Shoigu, a former Russian defense minister, expressed concern over the developments in Serbia. Russia 'cherishes' its relations with Belgrade, he said, adding that the two countries maintain an 'open dialogue' and particularly cooperate in the field of countering 'color revolutions.' Vulin thanked the Russian security services for their intelligence sharing operations. 'They know the danger Serbia is facing. We have very good communication and I am very grateful for that,' he said. Shoigu, in turn, said that Belgrade can 'always rely on Russia's aid in any issues.'
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Top Russian security official, Serbian deputy PM discuss protests in Serbia, agencies say
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Sergei Shoigu, the secretary of Russia's Security Council, has met Serbia's outgoing deputy prime minister Alexandar Vulin in Moscow and discussed anti-government protests in his country, Russian state-run news agencies reported on Saturday. Both referred to the protests as an attempted "colour revolution," a term used to describe pro-Western protests that toppled governments in Ukraine, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan in recent decades. "Western intelligence services are behind the colour revolution in Serbia and would like to bring another government to power in Serbia. We will not allow this," TASS news agency quoted Vulin as saying. On Friday, Vulin said that Russia's spy services had assisted Belgrade authorities in responding to the protests, which government critics said revealed the extent to which it had become dependent on Moscow. Shoigu said on Saturday both countries maintained regular dialogue and exchanged information "including with a view to countering 'colour revolutions'." "This helps to prevent destabilisation of the situation in brotherly Serbia in the changing geopolitical environment," Shoigu was reported as saying. Students, backed by teachers, farmers and workers, have maintained daily protests across Serbia since last November, when 16 people died in a roof collapse at a train station in the northern city of Novi Sad, which they blame on corruption. Earlier this week, Serbian parliament formally approved the resignation of Prime Minister Milos Vucevic, who offered to step down on January 28, triggering a 30-day deadline for the formation of a new government or the calling of a snap election.
