Vucic: Patrushev’s visit to Serbia has been canceled

The visit of the Secretary of the Security Council of Russia, Nikolai Patrushev to Belgrade has been canceled, the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic announced, reports Fonet. He specified that “Patrushev did not come, nor will he come”. As previously announced, the Russian official was supposed to come to Belgrade on Monday, February 28.

In the light of the current war in Ukraine, Serbia in the conclusion of the National Security Council stated that it respects the territorial integrity of Ukraine, but that it will not impose sanctions on Russia because it is not in its vital interest.

About ten days ago, the media close to the authorities wrote about Patrushev’s visit to Serbia. According to them, Patrushev was supposed to talk with Vucic about the alleged recruitment of “fighters from Kosovo, Albania and BiH for the Ukrainian front”. At that time, it was speculated that the strengthening of cooperation between Serbia and Russia in the field of security and current challenges in the Balkans, Europe and the world should have been discussed.

Patrushev was in the public spotlight during Serbian Interior Minister Aleksandar Vulin’s visit to Moscow, when it was announced that the two officials were discussing so-called “colored revolutions”.

Patrushev has been the secretary of the National Security Council since 2008, and before that he was the director of the Federal Security Service (FSB), which is the successor to the KGB.