Vulin relies on Russia’s authoritarian regime, demands more weapons for Serbia

The Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia, Aleksandar Vulin, has once again shown his inclination towards a policy that increasingly separates Serbia from European values and integration and brings it closer to authoritarian regimes. At the BRICS summit in Kazan, Vulin expressed his open support for the expansion of military cooperation with Russia and Serbia’s accession to the BRICS, ignoring the possible consequences of such a policy for relations with the European Union.

In an interview with the pro-Kremlin media outlet RIA Novosti, Vulin described Serbia as “neutral”, emphasized his “satisfaction” with Russian military equipment and expressed his willingness to make further purchases, ignoring the West’s sanctions against Russia for its aggression against Ukraine. “Russian equipment is excellent and we are very satisfied with it,” Vulin said, completely ignoring the consequences that such a policy could have for Serbia’s European path and the stability of the region.

Furthermore, Vulin expressed his willingness for Serbia to join the BRICS, which consists of countries with authoritarian regimes such as Russia and China.

With regard to the Brussels agreement and the formation of the Serb-majority community in Kosovo, Vulin continued to criticize the EU and accused it of “lying to Serbia”. However, he ignored the fact that Serbia and especially its top officials have not taken any significant steps towards a constructive dialog.

Vulin’s attitude towards Russia, along with a dangerous tone of rejection of Western policies, points to a deeper trend within the Serbian government that favors closeness to Moscow at a time when many people in Europe are increasingly distancing themselves from Russian influence.

And while the EU struggles to uphold human rights and the rule of law, Vulin clearly favors partnerships with those who support undemocratic regimes. His words about “freedom of choice” in the BRICS countries are just a “smokescreen” hiding the reality that Serbia is becoming part of the circle of countries fighting against Western values./The Geopost/