U.S. Authorities: Vulin Remains under Sanctions

Aleksandar Vulin (BETAPHOTO/MILOS MISKOV/MO)

The U.S. has said that its position on Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin was well known and that he would remain under U.S. sanctions and that Washington's focus was on cooperating with Serbian leaders to strengthen their strategic partnership.

Asked by Radio Free Europe to comment on accusations by Russian activist Andrei Pivovarov that Vulin had had a hand in his arrest in Russia in 2021, the U.S. Department of State said on Aug. 23 that the U.S. had no role in the appointment of Serbian government staff.

"Our position on Aleksandar Vulin is well known. He remains under U.S. sanctions. The U.S. has no hand in appointing Serbian government staff," reads the State Department's response on Vulin, who was Serbian minister of internal affairs at the time of Pivovarov's arrest.

The U.S. Department of State also said that the U.S. appreciated "Serbia's continued partnership in the fight against Russian aggression in Europe and extending humanitarian aid to the Ukrainian people." "Our focus is on cooperation with Serbian leaders toward strengthening the strategic partnership between our countries while Serbia builds a future of safety and prosperity in Europe, invulnerable to Russian political and economic blackmail," it added.