European Union candidate Serbia will continue to refuse to impose sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine despite Western pressure, Serbia’s leader said after his telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday.

Populist Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Instagram that he believes the call, what he said was his first in more than two years with the Russian president, will help “further development of relations and trust between Russia and Serbia.”

“We talked as people who have known each other for a long time, as friends, and the ten-minute conversation was marked by a personal note, and we also talked about those who are weak (pro-Western) leaders,” Vucic said.

Vucic quoted Putin as saying “what is good for Serbia is also good for Russia, what is good for the Serbs is also good for the Russians.”

  • absquatulate@lemmy.worldEnglish
    11·
    11 days ago

    He said Sunday he expects criticism from the West of his conversation with Putin, but stated that “Serbia is a sovereign country which makes its own decisions.”

    He also thanked Russia “for providing sufficient quantities of gas for Serbia at favorable prices.”

    Ironic lol. Well placed paragraphs AP. And congratulations Serbia, you’re on the path to achieve that greatest honor of overtaking belarus in becoming russia’s top bitch.

    Still, I get why vucic is playing at both ends, Serbia is a hard country to run, and so far they’ve been ok-ish despite not having advantages like being in the EU, Schengen or the EEA.

    Belgrade’s nationalist authorities marked the liberation date with a display of the pro-Russian sentiment, with thousands marching through Belgrade waving Russian flags and chanting slogans.

    This I don’t get though. For a nationalist government supported by nationalist serbs you’d think they noticed by now how russia treats their neighbors and vassals. If the russian border was on the Danube, you’d bet your sweet nationalist asses they would invade Serbia, because that’s what russia has always done. They just take shit.