Vucic: German Chancellor Wants Serbia to Join EU Sanctions against Russia

Aleksandar Vucic and Olaf Scholz (Photo: The General Secretariat of the President of the Republic/Dimitrije Goll)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on June 10 that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in Belgrade, on June 10, that Serbia should join international sanctions against Russia, i.e. “support the European Union’s restrictive measures against the Russian Federation.”

After a meeting with the German chancellor, Vucic said at a joint press conference that Scholz’s request was “decidedly clear.” “I was talking about Serbia’s position and specific situation when it comes to Kosovo and Metohija, energy and traditional relations with the Russian Federation,” Vucic said.

The president said that Serbia’s stance on the sanctions against Russia “differed” from the West’s for many reasons, but that “despite centuries-long ties to Russia, Serbia has condemned Russia's violation of international law and invasion of Ukraine.”

Vucic said that he discussed Serbia’s EU accession with the German chancellor, who, he said, had brought new hope to everyone in the Western Balkans. He also stressed that is guest had said that Serbia would need to make much faster progress in the area of the rule of law, the democratization of society and protection of human rights and freedoms, as well as, he said, everything else.