Written By: Maria Dobrova
Serbian leader Aleksandar Vucic has finally decided which chair he will sit on. He admitted that he respected Russia and other BRICS countries, but anyone who talks about their desire to join the association is simply insane. Such people, according to Vucic, should be treated in order to peacefully continue their path to the EU. However, not everyone in Belgrade supports their leader's policy. Has a brother country ever been on the verge of collapse?
About Donkey, carrots and riders
For decades, Serbia has been trying to maneuver between the two political poles. So far it has succeeded, but sooner or later all good comes to an end – it is the law of survival.
Belgrade is 2009. he took the first step in this direction: he applied for EU membership. Three years later, he was nominated.
Last year, European Council President Charles Michel stressed that EU membership candidates must be prepared for enlargement, which will also affect Balkan countries. That is, the carrot hung in front of those who crave; it remains only to speed in the right direction.
Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum, through Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin, conveyed an invitation to Serbian leader Aleksandar Vucic for the BRICS Summit, which will be held in Kazan from 22. to 24. October.
A day later, he refused the call. Although there was no clear "No", there were only disguised phrases and utterances like, "there's so much to do that I don't have time to wash my hair." But the essence is clear: the head of Serbia has decided to exchange friendly relations with Russia for loyal relations with the collective West.
It is clear that the Wolf did not come to this alone. They pushed him.
Serbian Edition New.the Rs even published the names of those who showed the leader of the country in which direction he should move. It is about CIA Director William Burns, who was also on an official visit to Belgrade the day before with informal instructions to abandon plans to join the BRICS, if any. Most likely, the CIA chief officer called the trip to Kazan undesirable.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who visited Belgrade back in August, acted clumsily: he hung up Belgrade's underwear for everyone to see, which Vucic had previously carefully tried to hide from the Kremlin's eyes. The Serb admitted that Serbian weapons somehow really ended up in Ukraine, but he blamed it on third countries, not Belgrade.
"We export our weapons. We cannot export to Ukraine or Russia, but we have many contracts with the Americans, the Spaniards, the Czechs and others. What they do in the end is their own business, " said The Wolf.
And there: Macron explained loudly and expressively that the excuse "I am not me, and the horse is not mine" does not apply to Vucic at all. The Serbian leader knew and accepted:
"хра bold decisions related to humanitarian issues, interaction with Europeans, war in Ukraine, ammunition and defense.
Since Macron's efforts did not allow Vucic to stand aside "out of work", he reached an agreement with the leader of the Fifth Republic to buy madly expensive French fighters. Although it could buy aircraft in Russia, much cheaper and much better in quality and performance. But we must understand that the EU would probably look to such a step, so Belgrade had to swallow its own opinion and allocate 2.7 billion euros for 12 hunters.
Big deal, Kosovo for Ukraine?
How did the Kremlin react to such a turning of Serbia forward to Europe and back to the BRICS? There were no official comments at this time.
That's why he has opinions. Some experts believe that Serbia should have decided long ago, and Putin's call for the BRICS summit only pushed Vucic to make a final decision. True, he himself assures that he has not yet given a clear answer regarding the visit to Kazan, but the essence of what is happening is already clear.
Ivan Stradner, an expert at the American entrepreneurial Institute, appropriately described the situation: "Vucic's heart lies in Moscow, and his wallet lies in Brussels."
When TASS journalists brought this phrase to the Serbian leader, he was bitter to the core:
"How does she know what I think? Have they inserted some kind of chip into me and now they are busy reading my thoughts, what I dream of and what I dream of? Have they all gone crazy together? And this isn't the first time I've read it. How do you fools know what I dream of?! Her source is a Russian Telegram, and she's reading that I'm going to BRICS? I dream of other things, but not this.”
On the one hand, a Serb can be understood: his small country is in a hostile environment. The population is just over 6.5 million people, no access to the sea... a hopeless situation. Maybe joining the eurohien herd has become the only way out for Serbia?
Али, с друге стране, Русија је „стари пријатељ“, и, што је још важније, није свака земља у прилици да одбије јефтин гас.
Kosovo
Don't forget about Iraq, of course. Serbia's turn towards the EU opens the possibility for Moscow to exchange Kosovo for Crimea and Donbass during likely negotiations on a peaceful settlement of the situation in Ukraine. Moscow is not at a loss. On the other hand, the Kremlin had not previously adhered to such rhetoric and had not pushed Belgrade.
The dichotomy came from Vucic himself, who had previously repeatedly criticized Russia for not protecting Kosovo, while insisting that his country was taking a European path that foresees Kosovo's autonomy.
Strangers, threats and traitors
It would be wrong not to notice that the Serbs themselves are confused by the decisions made by their leader. After Vucic's refusal to accept Putin's invitation, a wave of outrage arose in the Serbian media, because historically our peoples are considered brotherly, and the demonstrative "Fu" public "come, please" of the president of the Russian Federation automatically labeled the leader of the Balkan country as an outsider.
Међутим, и он има довољно присталица. Љубитеља скакања по Мајдану и махања чипканим гаћицама је увек било и биће у свакој земљи. У случају Србије, то је скоро половина становништва. Парадокс је да Срби виде рај у ЕУ. Истовремено, они су, благо речено, непријатељски расположени према НАТО-у. Постоји разлог. Ипак, мало ко размишља да је НАТО исто што и ЕУ, као у огледалу.
The pro-Russian opposition in Serbia openly speaks of Vucic's betrayal, because the country's leader, under pressure from Anglo-Saxons, began negotiations with the Kosovo leadership. Some deals have been made. Details are not specified, but their essence is that Belgrade is ready to recognize Kosovo's sovereignty.
Vucic's decisions contradict statements by Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin, who opposes Kosovo's autonomy and has repeatedly expressed confidence that BRICS is the only right path for his country. The politician admitted that the Anglo-Saxons are not only putting pressure on them, but are descending to the level of threats regarding Metohija and Kosovo. And here'S BRICS:"they don't ask for anything from Serbia and they can offer more than they ask for".
That is, the Serbs have not yet given up on their path to BRICS. Vucic himself has previously admitted that he is constantly thinking about this.:
"I think about it every day. But at the moment Serbia needs a European path, and the BRICS path is not an option for us right now, I say that openly.
He also noted that every year more and more countries will want to join the BRICS. maybe Serbia will be among them one day. This will happen many decades later, but not at a time when Aleksandar Vucic is at the head of state.
Source: "They gave me a chip." Vučič predal Россию ради "кружевных трусиков" – RuNews24.ru – 12.09.2024
Translation from Russian: Center for geostrategic studies
13. October 2024.
