Serbian president rejects calls for sanctions against Russia
Serbia’s president has said that the European Union’s calls for his country to join sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine represent “a brutal” interference in the Balkan state’s internal affairs
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Serbia’s president said Wednesday that the European Union's calls for his country to join sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine represent “a brutal” interference in the internal affairs of the Balkan state, which has asked to join the EU.
In his wide-ranging year-end address to the nation, Aleksandar Vucic praised his and his country’s economic and political achievements, comparing himself to a wolf who cannot be tamed under international pressure.
“Thank you very much for meddling in our internal affairs in such a brutal way,” he said, referring to the Western appeals.
Although formally seeking EU membership, Serbia has repeatedly ignored calls to align its foreign policies with the 27-nation bloc, including joining international sanctions against Moscow over the war in Ukraine.
There are increasing suggestions from EU-member states that Serbia’s membership bid should be suspended until it complies with the bloc’s foreign policies.
Serbia remains the only European country besides Belarus that has refused to introduce sanctions against Russia, its Slavic ally.
Russia has been supporting Serbia’s claim over its former province of Kosovo which declared independence in 2008 with Western support.
Vucic said that ranking U.S. and EU officials will be visiting Serbia in the next few days to discuss possible solutions to the tensions over Kosovo, which ran high in the past weeks with Serbia deploying troops to the mutual border. Northern Kosovo has a sizeable ethnic Serb minority.
“We wanted peace, and we barely saved it,” Vucic said. “Through no fault of our own. We haven’t provoked anyone not even for a single second, unless some people consider it a provocation that we see our people in Kosovo as citizens of our country.”