Serbian President Vučić defends EU path, faces airspace ban
I came to Moscow to advocate for the Serbian people. However, we remain committed to our European path, emphasized Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić on Wednesday, after arriving in the Russian capital.
Vučić will participate in the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow and will hold discussions with Vladimir Putin regarding gas supplies.
"I am here to fight for my people and my country. I don't care what anyone else in the world says. I was elected by the Serbian people. I was not elected by anyone in Riga, Tallinn, Vilnius, Kaunas, or anywhere else," said Vučić in an interview with broadcaster RTS. Prior to his arrival, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia had denied him passage through their airspace.
Vučić accused "Western leaders" of having a "lack of understanding."
"They have done us great harm, taking away 5% of our territory (Kosovo, which is not recognized by Belgrade and is a former province of Serbia), and today they tell us not to look back at the past and to focus on the future. They offer us nothing but threats and intimidation," stated the Serbian president.
He emphasized that his primary focus in Moscow will be on discussing gas supplies.
President Vučić announced his trip to Moscow at the end of April. The Serbian leader is set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. It will be their first official meeting since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.
In response to the conflict, Serbia has taken in thousands of Ukrainian refugees, condemned Russian aggression multiple times, and sent humanitarian aid to Kyiv. At the same time, the government in Belgrade maintains high-level contacts with Russia and continues to resist joining EU sanctions against Russia, despite its official aspirations to join the EU.
