MOSCOW: Russia has pointed fingers at Western nations, accusing them of inciting tensions in Serbia, which has been witnessing protests over alleged fraud in the parliamentary and local elections held on December 17. The demonstrators, contesting the results that favored President Aleksandar Vucic’s party, clashed with police and attempted to storm the Belgrade city hall.
During an interview with the state-run news agency RIA Novosti, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova asserted, “The attempts of the collective West to destabilize the situation in the country are obvious.” While the Kremlin welcomed the election results, emphasizing hopes for strengthened ties between the two nations, it dismissed accusations of meddling amid the protests.
Relations Between Russia and Serbia
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov addressed the situation on Monday, stating, “There are attempts by third parties, including from abroad, to provoke the unrest in Belgrade.” Meanwhile, Serbia and Russia maintain historically close ties, and Belgrade refrained from joining international sanctions against Moscow in response to its actions in Ukraine.
Despite the friendly relations, Serbia has condemned Russia’s aggression at the United Nations. Russia’s ambassador to Belgrade, Aleksandr Botsan-Kharchenko, met with President Vucic, alleging that Western countries were seeking to destabilize the Serbian leader’s position. Botsan-Kharchenko suggested that the attempts were linked to Vucic’s refusal to join anti-Russian sanctions.
Notably, Serbia is heavily reliant on Russian gas, and the Kremlin plays a pivotal role in supporting Serbia over the Kosovo issue, rejecting the latter’s independence and hindering its access to the United Nations.
