Serbia: Keeping EU, Russia in play ahead of key election
As Serbia heads towards an uncertain election, President Aleksandar Vucic is balancing ties with Russia and EU ambitions. But growing geopolitical tensions and pressure at home are narrowing his room to maneuver.
Smoke from wildfires still lingered over parts of Serbia, but as the flames receded, a new political debate emerged — one less about firefighting and more about foreign policy. In early August, wildfires ravaged Serbia, affecting over 3,500 hectares in the Deliblato Sands Special Nature Reserve. Firefighters, soldiers, and helicopters battled the flames for days.
When a Russian Ilyushin Il-76 firefighting aircraft arrived in the southern city of Nis, Serbia turned to Moscow for help, making Russia the first foreign country to provide a firefighting aircraft. Pro-government media celebrated the arrival, dubbing the aircraft "the Russian beast." Serbia had sought Russian assistance before activating the EU's emergency mechanism, but the EU responded swiftly, mobilizing four helicopters and ground teams from Czechia, Romania, and Slovakia.
Serbian President Vladimir Vucic dismissed the notion that seeking Russian help first was a foreign-policy move or a sign of Serbia's political alignment with Moscow. He emphasized that Serbia is a European giant and the helicopters received from Europe were less capable than Serbia's own. The wildfire incident occurred just two weeks after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made his first official visit to Serbia, reaffirming their support for each other's territorial integrity.
Vucic framed Zelenskyy's visit as a response to Western pressure and Serbia's interests, aiming to keep neither the West nor Russia as open opponents during the election campaign. He sought to present himself to Europeans as a great friend of Ukraine and to the United States as a great friend of Israel. However, the room to maintain these relationships may be shrinking as the confrontation between Russia and the West deepens.
Serbia's refusal to impose sanctions on Russia remains a significant obstacle to closer alignment with the EU. Moscow, too, has reasons to doubt Vucic's loyalty, despite continuing to support his narrative about color revolutions. For Vucic, the immediate concern is whether he will survive the election in October and preserve the delicate balance of relationships.
Written by urgent.news from DW News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
