Analyst: Serbia Will Slowly Align with Restrictive EU Measures toward Russia

Igor Novakovic (Photo: PrintScreen YouTube)

Igor Novakovic, director of research at the International and Security Affairs Center (ISAC Fund), said on April 11 that Serbia would most likely begin to increasingly align with the European Union's positions in international organizations and slowly introduce some sanctions against Russia.

"Serbia will increasingly align with restrictive measures, but at a slow pace, attempting at the same time to assure Russia that it is not completely against it," Novakovic told a conference titled War in Ukraine and Risks to the West Balkans, organized by EurActiv Bulgaria.

Novakovic said the war in Ukraine had happened in the worst possible time for Serbia's ruling elite -- in the middle of an election campaign, even eliciting a change to the Serbian Progressive Party's slogan and emphasis on Aleksandar Vucic, sitting president and party leader, promising to ensure peace and stability in the country.

On the subject of the West Balkan region, the ruling party's narrative was that Serbia would be a pillar of stability and would not exacerbate the crisis. "Vucic will probably continue to present himself as the chief guarantor of stability in the region and someone who will ensure that the conflict in Ukraine will not spill over to Serbia -- or [Bosnia and Herzegovina] or Kosovo," Novakovic said.