Moscow is fully aware of the immense pressure the West is placing on Serbia to push Belgrade into antagonizing Russia, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has stated. His comments followed Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s recent indication that he would sell weapons to EU member states, even if they eventually reach Ukraine.
Serbia, which applied for EU membership in 2009 and gained candidate status in 2012, remains one of the few European nations refusing to impose sanctions on Russia due to its historically close ties with Moscow. Peskov emphasized on Tuesday that “Russia understands what unprecedented pressure is being put on Serbia,” describing the issue of Serbian arms exports as “not at all a simple story.”
In an interview with Germany’s Cicero magazine last Thursday, Vucic revealed that Serbia’s “warehouses are full of ammunition, and we are producing more,” adding that he had offered EU countries to purchase the stockpile. He dismissed concerns about the weapons ending up in Ukraine, stating, “the buyers can do with it what they want.”
Earlier this year, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) alleged that Serbian defense firms had increased indirect arms shipments to Ukraine via EU states like the Czech Republic and Bulgaria. In response, Vucic suspended ammunition exports and imposed stricter permissions for such transfers.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recently urged Serbia to align more closely with EU positions, including sanctions against Russia. Vucic has consistently rejected joining these measures. Meanwhile, Serbia has faced violent anti-government protests, which Belgrade attributes to Western influence. Russia’s SVR also accused Brussels of attempting a Ukraine-style “Maidan coup” in Serbia by “brainwashing” youth.
Amid growing public unrest, Vucic announced plans for early parliamentary elections.