Serbia does not object to its weapons entering Ukraine through intermediaries. This was indirectly mentioned by the country’s president, Aleksandras Vučičius, who gave an interview to the Financial Times.
The daily notes that Serbia previously refused to join Western sanctions against Russia, but now Belgrade appears to have changed tack. According to A. Vucic, he knows that Serbian ammunition enters Ukraine through intermediaries, but he does not plan to prevent them.
“Is it possible for this to happen?” I have no doubt that it is possible. What alternative do we have? You don’t produce? Not to sell? he asked.
The Financial Times notes that this change in Serbia’s orientation is probably directly linked to the decision of the United States of America (US), NATO and the European Union (EU) to support Belgrade in the context of the recent increase in ethnic tensions in Kosovo. . Even three Western diplomats working in the region told the newspaper that such a link actually exists.
To the journalist’s direct question whether Serbia has deliberately started to supply arms to Ukraine in order to win the sympathy of the West regarding the Kosovo problem, A. Vučić replied that Belgrade seeks to act “in all neutrality.
“But I’m not fooled. I know some of the weapons could end up in Ukraine,” he said.
A. Vučić also admitted that Serbia walks a “tight line” between Moscow and Western countries, but will not help Russia in the military field.
“We have adhered to all the resolutions of the United Nations [kuriomis smerkiamas Rusijos įsiveržimas į Ukrainą]. We introduce re-export bans, such as dual-use goods [technologijų], necessary for the manufacture of drones. We will not be a center for re-exporting products to Russia,” the Serbian leader said.
A. Vučić added that the days of communicating with Russian President Vladimir Putin every three months are over and noted that he has not established contact with the Kremlin for a year, except to receive guests from Moscow. .
“It’s never happened before,” he admitted.
On Thursday, a conversation between the presidents of Ukraine and Serbia took place on the sidelines of the summit of the European Political Community, the portal “eurointegration” reported, citing the Serbian publication RTS.
A. Vučić then said that the conversation with Volodymyr Zelenskiy did not affect Serbia’s position on the issue of imposing sanctions on Russia.
“We had a short and fair conversation, but the decision on sanctions is made by Serbian citizens through their leaders. We made our decision in March 2022 and defined our position. You can never change the position someone with just one conversation,” the Serbian president said at the time.
He stressed that Serbia pursues an independent policy, is an independent country and respects Ukraine.
Source: The Delfi
