Latest news with #Vučić
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.
Euronews
3 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
3 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.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Zelenskyy discusses European integration with Serbian president
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reported on a conversation with his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vučić, who recently attended the military parade in Moscow. Source: Zelenskyy on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda Details: The president said that the conversation focused on European integration and bilateral cooperation. Quote: "I spoke with Serbia's President Aleksandar Vučić. We discussed current issues – our European integration and bilateral cooperation. In particular, we talked about collaboration within the Ukraine – Southeast Europe format. We will continue developing it to further increase its effectiveness. We agreed on a schedule and to stay in contact." Background: Vučić was one of two European leaders who attended the 9 May parade in Moscow this year, despite warnings from the EU. Following his visit to Moscow, Vučić stated that Serbia remains committed to its EU accession plan and wants to accelerate the process. Russia is a historical Orthodox ally of Serbia and a key supplier of natural gas, with Gazprom and Gazpromneft holding ownership in Serbia's oil company NIS. Moscow also supports Belgrade in its opposition to Kosovo's independence. However, Serbia has consistently refused to join EU sanctions against Russia. Vučić has previously expressed confidence that Serbia's European path would not be affected by his visit to Moscow. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Euronews
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Serbia's EU membership remains a strategic goal, Kallas says
Serbia's EU membership "remains a strategic goal" yet depends on a "geostrategic choice" of direction, Kallas said Thursday after meeting Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and government officials in Belgrade, the first stop on her broader Western Balkans tour. 'From my discussions with Serbian political leadership it is clear that EU membership remains a strategic goal,' Kallas said. 'However, I want to emphasise that we need to see actions also to prove and support those words.' "Reforms are how Serbia will advance along its EU path," she added. "There are no shortcuts for membership. Real progress must be made here in Belgrade.' The EU foreign policy chief also touched upon Vučić's trip to Russia for the Victory Day parade in Moscow, a decision widely criticised by Brussels and Kallas, who earlier warned the Serbian leader not to travel to the Russian capital for the 9 May celebrations. "I really don't understand why it is necessary to stand side by side with (Russian President Vladimir Putin) who is conducting this horrible war in Ukraine," Kallas added. "And President Vučić was explaining his side of the story. So, yes, we had a very extensive discussion about this." Vučić has previously said that "Serbia and the Serbian people made a huge contribution to the victory over fascism" in World War II, and that he was in the Russian capital to celebrate that fact. "I talked about it back in October and told everyone I was travelling. I didn't lie to anyone. I announced where I was going, unlike many others who did not announce it, so they ended up there," Vučić explained after meeting European Council President Antonio Costa in Belgrade earlier this month. Vučić has been criticised for maintaining close relations with Russia and China while formally saying that he wants Serbia to join the EU. The government in Belgrade has also been under significant domestic pressure following seven months of large student-led anti-corruption protests, which erupted after a train station awning collapsed in the northern regional capital of Novi Sad on 1 November 2024, killing 16. Kallas said she also met the protesting students and called for Serbia to make serious efforts to promote media freedom, combat corruption and implement electoral reform. 'These reforms will bring real benefits for the citizens and the people of Serbia as hundreds of thousands of protesters have been demanding in recent weeks. The autonomy of the universities must be respected,' she said. Kallas also emphasised the need to normalise relations with Kosovo, Serbia's former province which declared its independence in 2008. Most Western countries recognise its independence, but Serbia does not. Brussels-mediated talks between the two have long been frozen, yet Kallas said normalisation is "fundamental for Serbia's European future." "It is time to overcome the past a focus on the common future,' she said. 'I plan to invite the representatives from Belgrade and Pristina to Brussels as soon as possible to discuss the concrete steps forward." The six Western Balkan countries are in different phases of accession, with Albania and Montenegro now considered frontrunners. Serbia, North Macedonia and Bosnia remain candidate countries, while Kosovo is still just a potential candidate for EU membership. Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 encouraged Europe's leaders to push for the countries to join the bloc, fearing instability. Kallas said she is 'deeply committed to encouraging all the Western Balkan countries to really seize the current momentum that we have in the enlargement.' "I want to see Serbia advancing towards the EU," the EU foreign policy chief reiterated in a post on X following the meeting. "For that, political leaders must deliver the necessary reforms and clarify the strategic direction. This is best done by restoring trust and staying true to democratic principles," she added. Eight EU countries on Thursday launched a coalition of the willing on crisis preparedness calling for "urgent, European coordinated action" to make the bloc more resilient to natural and man-made disasters. Crisis preparedness is a national competence across the EU but the new coalition of the willing - made up of Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, and Sweden - said in a statement that "efforts from member states and the EU's institutions" are needed "as crises have become increasingly cross-border, cross-sectoral and grow in complexity". "Russia is engaging in destabilising actions that could affect all member states. We can see that this capability could potentially increase if Russia is no longer as involved in Ukraine -- if we reach a peace agreement," Swedish Minister for Civil Defence Carl-Oskar Bohlin told Euronews. "That's why it is very important that all member states work on civil preparedness and strengthening resilience." "To have a credible military capability, we also need a credible ability to handle crises within our society. We must show that we will never give up. If an adversary were to launch an unjust attack against us, we need to make it clear that we are resilient — and present a robust society that is seen as not worth attacking," he added. Some of the threats the new coalition says the EU needs to bolster its preparedness and resilience against include military, hybrid, terrorist and criminal threats, foreign manipulation and interference, and other disruptions caused by natural or human-made disasters. Ministers taking part in the meeting agreed to develop and work on a Joint Coalition Agenda that would see them implement the Preparedness Union Strategy proposed by the European Commission two months ago. The Commission is arguing there is a need for harmonisation across the 27 member states as levels of crisis preparedness differ widely, due to varying threat assessments based primarily on geography. The plan by the EU's executive called for increasing stockpiles of essential equipment and supplies including medical countermeasures, critical raw materials, and energy equipment as well as improving cooperation between civilian and military authorities. The flagship initiative, however, was a call for member states to develop a 72-hour survival kit for citizens. This kit, Crisis Preparedness Commissioner Hadja Lahbib said at the time, ought to include food, water, medicines, a portable radio, a flashlight, spare batteries, chargers, cash, copies of important documents including medical prescriptions, spare keys, warm clothes and basic tools such as utility knives. The initiative was immediately branded by some as alarmist and fearmongering but a prolonged nationwide blackout in Spain last month saw the Commission partially vindicated. "In the Netherlands, we are already working hard on resilience, but it is important not to limit ourselves to national borders. Moreover, we can learn a lot from the countries around us that are already more advanced," David van Weel, the Dutch minister of justice and security said, citing Sweden, Denmark and the Baltic states as examples. "A resilient European Union makes us stronger and ensures that Europe is prepared for disruptions to society caused by different types of crises. It is also not just about emergency kits for EU citizens, but also, for example, repairing the electricity grid or other vital infrastructure. You can think trained citizens as civil protection workers to get destroyed electricity sheds up and running again, put out fires or provide first medical aid in a crisis," he added. The group plans to meet twice yearly, with the next meeting to be held in Sweden. Euronews understands that Poland and Germany have expressed interest in joining the coalition.
