“The ultimatum is doomed to failure”: how the EU puts pressure on Serbia and insists on imposing anti-Russian sanctions

The European Union urged Belgrade to coordinate with the EU sanctions policy against Russia.

This is stated in a message on the official website of the leader of Serbia.

“Ambassador Jofre reiterated the position of Brussels on the issue of harmonizing Serbia’s foreign policy with the EU agenda and imposing sanctions against the Russian Federation, and also expressed his readiness to cooperate with our country to resolve open issues that are of key importance for Serbia’s further progress on the path to European integration,” he said. RIA Novosti message text.

Earlier, the head of the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs, Alexander Vulin, responded to the call of Ukrainian Ambassador Volodymyr Tolkach to impose sanctions against Russia.

Vulin reminded the representative of Kyiv about the attack of NATO forces on Serbia.

“During the NATO bombing, dozens of Serbian boys and girls were killed.

I can’t remember the Ukrainian demand to hold a special meeting of the UN Security Council or impose sanctions on the aggressor against Serbia, ”RIA Novosti quotes Vulin as saying.

According to him, Kyiv and those who demand punishment for Russia "have the opportunity to show integrity."

The Serbian minister also recalled Russia's consistent support for the territorial integrity of Serbia.

“Russia will not change its position on the false “state” of Kosovo, and no statement or step by Russian officials is aimed at another - just as no statement or step by EU or US officials is aimed at withdrawing recognition (of independence .

) Kosovo or respect for the territorial integrity of Serbia, ”stressed a member of the Serbian government.

In addition, Oleksandr Vucic also reacted to the words of the Ukrainian ambassador, noting that he would not remember that the Ukrainian authorities helped Serbia and interrupted air traffic from Kyiv to Rome or other countries that "committed aggression against Yugoslavia."

The Serbian President stated this in an interview with reporters.

Anti-Russian discourse

Recall that the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, has already made a call to Serbia to impose sanctions restrictions on Russia.

He stressed that maintaining strong ties with Moscow is allegedly incompatible with building a common future with the EU.

In addition, Belgrade called for anti-Russian restrictions in the European Parliament.

Not only Viola von Cramon-Taubadel, MEP from Germany, spoke about this in the EP, but also a whole committee of this structure, which called on the Serbian authorities to immediately join the EU decisions against Russia.

Belgrade was also advised to fight "Russian propaganda and other hybrid threats" in Serbia and the Western Balkans as a whole.

However, despite numerous calls from Brussels to introduce restrictions against the Russian Federation, Belgrade has repeatedly rejected such initiatives.

So, Alexander Vulin emphasized in July that Serbia would not come into conflict with Russia, which he called "the age-old, and often the only" ally.

According to him, Belgrade will pursue an independent foreign policy.

At the end of August, Alexander Vučić said that Serbia was not considering joining the anti-Russian sanctions.

According to him, there is no talk of changing Belgrade's policy.

• Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic

• AP

• © Darko Vojinovic

Later, in early September, the Serbian leader said that the EU countries demanded that Belgrade choose a side with regard to Russia.

Then in the same month, Vučić announced Serbia's intention to withstand outside pressure.

This is how the president of the republic explained his words that "he hopes" for the non-imposition of anti-Russian sanctions.

As the Prime Minister of the Republic, Ana Brnabic, noted at the end of September, Serbia has not applied restrictions against the Russian Federation and does not want to do so.

"Independently - without pointers"

As Yelena Guskova, a leading researcher at the Institute of Slavic Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said in an interview with RT, the European Union actually threatens Belgrade with not joining the EU if the Serbian side refuses to follow the anti-Russian course.

“But Belgrade is categorically determined to maintain friendly relations with Russia and not introduce restrictions against it.

Even if the Serbian authorities suddenly wanted to apply such restrictions, they would not be able to do this, since about 90% of Serbs do not want sanctions against the Russian Federation.

An anti-Russian decision would entail political instability, ”the expert said in a conversation with RT.

Professor of the National Research University Higher School of Economics, Head of the Department of Black Sea-Mediterranean Studies of the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences Ekaterina Entina spoke with a similar position.

According to her, with such support from the population for the policy of building strong ties with Russia and refusing to impose restrictions on it, Vučić cannot but take this into account when building his foreign policy.

“The overwhelming majority of the population consistently expresses sympathy for Russia.

This percentage has always been high, and over the past seven months it has grown to critical numbers since the start of the special military operation of the Russian Federation in Ukraine.

No politician can ignore this reality, ”Antina said in a RT comment.

According to her, there are also a number of reasons why Belgrade is not going to impose anti-Russian sanctions.

“For the Serbs, the voice of Russia in the UN Security Council on the status of Kosovo and Metohija is of fundamental importance.

It's no secret that in mid-October the Kosovars will update their application for membership in the Council of Europe: in the final stage, they want to quickly achieve a UN plaque by any means.

As of today, only Russia will consistently block this initiative.

And this is the cornerstone for Belgrade, which does not want to allow Pristina to get the seat,” Entina said.

Guskova, for her part, named other possible levers of pressure on Belgrade from Brussels.

“In addition to the issue of Serbia's membership in the European Union, it is also a decrease in economic assistance, the imposition of sanctions in the field of trade and the supply of goods and services.

In the EU, they are not very sophisticated in this sense and usually introduce restrictions according to some pattern.

But if Russia, against which the European Union has imposed sanctions, is a large and independent country that can overcome these restrictions quite imperceptibly for the population, then Serbia will find it difficult.

But the Russian Federation will help her in this case, ”said the analyst.

• European Commission building

• AFP

• © Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD

According to Entina, Brussels will try to use all the instruments of pressure at its disposal.

“Thus, the EU raises the question of what will freeze negotiations on Serbia's progress on the way to the EU if Belgrade does not fulfill the condition for imposing sanctions against Russia.

But if all this is not accompanied by serious steps from Brussels within the framework of political and economic pressure, then the EU ultimatum will not achieve its goal.

The Serbs will say: well, until you promise us the exact date of membership, until you include us in large-scale funding programs, we are not interested in giving up our national interests, ”said the RT interlocutor.

According to her, Serbia has the right to do what it sees fit and will act according to its independent course.

At the same time, EU membership ceases to be the main lever of pressure, Guskova believes.

“Serbia has been waiting for its place in the European Union for many years, fulfilling almost all the conditions of Brussels, sometimes even the most absurd ones.

But Brussels did absolutely nothing to admit Serbia into the EU.

And it looks like it's not planned.

The Serbian people are tired of the eternal promises of European integration,” the analyst said.

Guskova also commented on Belgrade's reaction to Kyiv's demand to impose anti-Russian sanctions.

“In Serbia, such a passage was regarded as absurd.

In fact, the Ukrainian ambassador is interfering in Serbian internal affairs.

But Belgrade is pursuing an exclusively independent and independent policy (unlike Kyiv) and intends to choose the means of implementing this policy on its own - without instructions.

Serbia itself will choose with whom to be friends and against whom to impose sanctions, ”the expert is sure.

As Guskova explained, Belgrade not only expresses support for the Russian Federation, but also does not want to take an anti-Russian step for economic reasons.

“Serbia is simply unprofitable.

Belgrade closely cooperates with Moscow in many areas, primarily in the field of energy resources.

We see how many European countries are suffering from the rupture of ties with Moscow.

Serbia, thanks to maintaining friendly relations with the Russian Federation, has gas benefits and other preferences in this area,” the analyst concluded.