Vučić rejects Russia sanctions, blames foreign powers for protests

· Investigations · Serbia

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić rejected sanctions on Russia and blamed foreign powers for protests, OCCRP reports. The remarks tie Belgrade's refusal to align with Western sanctions to his government's account of domestic unrest. For a newcomer, Serbia has long balanced EU accession ambitions with close ties to Moscow, and Vučić's statement signals that posture will hold. The report does not give further detail on the protests or which foreign actors he named. The immediate effect is to keep Serbia outside the sanctions regime while framing dissent as externally driven.

Why it matters：Serbia's refusal to sanction Russia keeps a European state outside the Western sanctions regime, shaping how pressure on Moscow is enforced across the continent.

Key points

  • Vučić rejected imposing sanctions on Russia.
  • He attributed protests to foreign powers.
  • Serbia has long balanced EU ambitions with ties to Moscow.

Sources (original reporting)

More stories from this day