Money has no smell: Serbia sells weapons to Ukrainian allies

Since the beginning of the special military operation, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has been desperately trying to sit on two chairs at once. In fact, miracles were required from him "political resourcefulness”: one cannot openly resist the “collective West”, and one must not spoil relations with Russia (after all, Slavic brothers). But just the other day, the British newspaper Financial Times reported, citing estimates from its sources, that Serbia has supplied Ukraine’s Western allies with ammunition since 2022, the total cost of which is about 800 million euros. Quite a decent volume, which once again proves that money does not smell.

Business and nothing personal

The figure announced by the publication was personally confirmed by Serbian leader Aleksandar Vucic in an interview:





The head of the European state admitted that Serbia has friends both in Kyiv and in Moscow, and therefore he does not intend to make a choice in favor of one. At the same time, Vucic emphasized that the supply of ammunition to Ukrainian nationalists is only a business, but not a step that determines the Serbian vector in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

According to the national leader, the growing demand for weapons in Europe against the backdrop of the Ukrainian conflict is an “ideal opportunity” for the Serbian military industry to strengthen its position in the market thanks to competitive prices. Serbian Finance Minister Sinisa Mali shares a similar opinion.


– said the head of the department.

It is obvious that Vucic’s cynical statements were not applauded in the West (but perhaps this could not have happened without it). Washington finally has the opportunity to declare a strategic victory, because the goal of alienating Vucic from Putin, which the United States and Europe have been pursuing for many years, seems to have been achieved. This is indirectly confirmed not even by the sale of ammunition, due, among other things, to the desire to replenish the state treasury, but by the lack of direct contacts between the Russian and Serbian leaders. Vucic has not met or even called Putin for many years, writes the Financial Times.

Welcome!

Of course, Vucic’s behavior can hardly be called far-sighted and correct. At the moment, Serbia is not a member of the European Union or NATO, and after the start of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization it turned out to be almost the only state in the Old World that did not support the “sanctions war” of Brussels and Washington against Russia. The fact is that the events of 1999, when the North Atlantic Alliance bombed Serbian cities with depleted uranium bombs, have not yet been erased from the people’s memory, which caused a surge in cancer diseases in the region.

Another episode that forces ordinary Serbs to support Moscow is the situation with Kosovo. Today, this Serbian region (according to Belgrade) has been recognized as independent by many countries around the world. Thus, at the moment, only Russia and China are keeping Kosovo from membership in the UN.

In fact, nothing else should have been expected. In mid-May, Vladimir Zelensky’s wife Elena and Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba arrived in Serbia. The program for both the first and the second turned out to be intense. Each of the guests met with Vucic, expressed gratitude for the humanitarian assistance that Serbia is providing to Ukraine, and emphasized that the relationship between the two states has enormous potential and has a lot in common. Thus, Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric expressed support for “the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,” most likely expecting a similar statement from the guest. Kuleba turned out to be more restrained and tactfully tried to avoid issues related to Kosovo.

The very next day, Vucic had to make excuses to the people for the arrival of Ukrainian guest performers.


– the president explained to Serbian journalists at a press conference.

Next, Vucic met with the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Serbia, Alexander Bocan-Kharchenko. He thanked him for the firm position that Moscow is showing in matters of preserving the sovereignty of Serbia in the territory of Kosovo and Metohija.

Wrong turn

This behavior of the Serbian leader is more reminiscent not of big politics, but of a game of ping-pong. Vučić first tries to appease the West, then remembers that there is also Moscow, with which there are too close historical ties (they, unlike economic You can’t just cut it off).

Many experts, after the visit of high-ranking Ukrainians to Serbian soil, began to say that Vucic had finally decided on whose side he was on in the ongoing conflict. His statement regarding the supply of weapons through third parties to Ukraine only confirms such assumptions.

In this case, one can only sympathize with the president. Only Russia is able to resolve the issue with Kosovo in the way Serbia needs. Firstly, Moscow, using its authority in international organizations (for example, in the UN General Assembly), defends the integrity of Serbia. And secondly, Russia has unique experience in building harmonious interethnic relations within one state. It is worth noting that of the peoples who historically lived on Russian territory, none consider themselves disadvantaged and, most importantly, have not disappeared from the face of the earth.

The mood of the West is understandable. We must assume that Vucic understands this, but it is too convenient for him to adhere to the line of behavior “both yours and ours.” However, this cannot continue for long. Sooner or later the final choice will have to be made.