Chinese and Russian media unite: Lavrov saves Vucic from ‘big trouble’

Russian media report that relations between Russia and Serbia, which have been historically warm, have recently been seriously tested. But Russia, they add, referring to a report by the Chinese portal 360kuai, has not turned away from its ally, but has even saved it from “big trouble”. And it is Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov who is allegedly most responsible for this. “Serbia is a long-standing strategic partner of Russia and its great friend. However, relations between Moscow and Belgrade have not been the smoothest of late – the Russians have rightly lodged complaints about their ally – there have even been rumors of a possible rift between the two countries,” writes Obщественное televizние России (Public Television of Russia). It is recalled that Russia’s foreign intelligence service recently accused Serbia of secret arms shipments to Ukraine.

“Ammunition produced by defense companies in Serbia, mainly for heavy long-range systems, is being shipped to NATO countries in the interests of Ukraine in the form of complete sets of parts for assembly. This allows Kiev to formally receive military industry products that are no longer Serbian but are assembled in armaments factories in Western countries. The assembly and loading of ammunition is mainly carried out in the Czech Republic and Bulgaria,” reads a statement published on the SRV website on 23 June.

As a reminder, a few days later, Vucic said that he would order that contracts for the sale of arms and ammunition not be implemented if there were suspicions of abuse and of being sent to the Ukrainian battlefield.

RTS reports that he said he had discussed the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit to Moscow in early May and that Serbia and the Russian Federation had formed a working group “to establish all the facts”.

“I will certainly issue an order and a warning that wherever there is a suspicion of abuse and sending to the battlefield, and we know about it – such contracts are not implemented,” Vucic said.

Alongside this “legitimate complaint against his ally”, Russian public television in its report today also mentions the current mass rallies against the Serbian authorities, which, they say, President Vucic has openly stated were instigated by foreign services.

“In such a situation, Moscow could have turned away from its ally, but instead it unexpectedly rescued it”, the Russian media said.

“Mass riots broke out in the Serbian capital, tens of thousands of people gathered in the streets calling for the dissolution of parliament and early elections”, they added, noting that “the situation for Serbia has become critical”.

“Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has come under enormous pressure after making it clear that foreign forces are behind events in his country. They have tried to destabilize the situation and put a pro-Western government in charge. It is hard to imagine how this would have ended, but at that moment the Kremlin came to Belgrade’s rescue – and did not let it down.”

Foreign Minister Lavrov suddenly “made a public statement addressed to the West”.

Lavrov called for a peaceful resolution of the situation and expressed the hope that the West would not try to organize another “color revolution”. As they say in China, at first sight it appeared to be mere words of support, but Lavrov’s gesture had a profound effect.

“Lavrov’s statement had a huge impact. On the one hand, it was a direct warning to Western countries that Russia is watching them and that they should not try any tricks. On the other hand, this support gave additional confidence to Vucic and his supporters. Russia is helping Serbia to uncover the ‘traces’ of Western intelligence in the unrest and to eliminate foreign interference so that Serbia can stop the chaos in the streets,” they argue.

Afterwards, President Vucic publicly thanked Lavrov for his support.

“After this incident, relations between Serbia and Russia should become even closer. Serbia, which has overcome these shocks, now knows who its true friend is”, conclude commentators on a Chinese portal quoted by Russian public television.

They also recall the alleged dissatisfaction of the Western media with Lavrov’s recent joke about NATO.

Indeed, when NATO members announced a few days ago a significant increase in defense spending, which is expected to reach 5% of GDP, the Kremlin’s reaction did not wait long. Lavrov tried to mock the West and his Polish counterpart Radoslaw Sikorski, Ukrainian Pravda reported. “Putin’s foreign minister Lavrov mocks NATO’s targeted spending. He has done so with contempt and derision, as well as with a new attack on Germany’s neighbor – Poland”, wrote a commentator in Germany’s Frankfurter Rundschau. Responding to the news of NATO’s rising military spending, Sikorski said that Russia would not be able to sustain the arms race and that increased spending would lead to its downfall. These words caught the attention of Lavrov, who could not help but be ironic.

Lavrov joked about Sikorski, calling him a prophet. He then ironically expressed surprise that such a “wise prophet” had not foreseen the catastrophic consequences for NATO itself of the increase in military spending. “In the meantime, Russia is planning – as President Putin recently said in Minsk after the Eurasian Economic Union Summit – to reduce military expenditure, using common sense. And not by imaginary threats, as NATO members, including Sikorski, are doing,” Lavrov said, according to Russian media.

/The Geopost