Vucic again refuses to impose sanctions on Russia and rejects military aid to Ukraine

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, has been praised for once again opposing the imposition of sanctions against Russia over its war of aggression against Ukraine and for not aligning himself with the European Union’s foreign policy, despite the country officially being a candidate for membership.

To soften the tone in front of Westerners, Vucic repeated the phrase that they support territorial integrity.

“We support the territorial integrity of Ukraine, we do not impose sanctions against Russia,” he said after the summit of the heads of state and government of Ukraine and Southeast Europe in Dubrovnik, which was also attended by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyi.

Vučić emphasized that at Serbia’s insistence, three or four things in the summit declaration were changed that had to do with sanctions.

As he said, the article stating that countries are “obliged” to comply with EU measures was changed and instead it says that countries are “encouraged”.

“This is what we have been able to change. Three or four things have changed, and this is one of them.

“Serbia respects its policy, it will continue to lead the policy of a libertarian, independent and sovereign country in accordance with its interests,” Vucic said.

Vucic justified the refusal to impose sanctions by saying: “It is a policy led by Serbia.”

Vucic also refused to help Ukraine militarily because of its military ties with Russia.

“Serbia insisted that it was possible to talk about any kind of aid, but not to write explicitly about military aid,” he said. “Moreover, Serbia’s opposition was approved in the part referring to the “occupation of Crimea”, he said.

“Serbia’s proposals were respected and accepted,” Vucic added. /The Geopost/