A Russian news video showing Serbian volunteers in Ukraine taking part in exercises with Russian soldiers has caused widespread outrage in Serbia, the BBC reports.
Wagner’s Group has published a video in Serbian language, in which they invite volunteers to apply for war in Ukraine. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic reacted angrily to this, saying on Serbian public television:
«Why do you, from Wagner, call anyone from Serbia when you know that it is against our regulations?»
Serbian citizens are prohibited from participating in military conflicts abroad.
It is estimated that the number of Serbs involved in the activities of Wagner’s Group is not large. So far, the Serbian court has sentenced more than 20 people for their participation in various military conflicts in foreign countries.
Serbia is often criticized for valuing relations with Russia more than joining the European Union, however, the events of the last few days show that Belgrade’s position is not so clear-cut.
On Thursday, January 19, Belgrade lawyers and members of the anti-war movement filed a criminal complaint against the Russian ambassador in Serbia for possible recruitment of Serbs to fight in the Wagner Group. In addition, in Belgrade, which has its fair share of provocative murals, the emblem of a mercenary group appeared on the city’s central wall last week. It was signed by a radical right-wing extremist organization that has previously held poorly attended rallies in support of Russia.
This week, Vucic clearly expressed Serbia’s position on the war in Ukraine and Russia’s territorial claims:
«For us, Crimea is Ukraine, Donbas is Ukraine, and it will remain so.»
However, this is not enough to convince the European Parliament, as Serbia has repeatedly refused to impose sanctions on Russia. While the EU hesitated to direct the bloc’s expansion towards the Western Balkans, Serbia considered it more valuable to build relations with the Kremlin, and there were also a number of practical reasons for this. Now the attitude is changing.
If Serbia’s president has been waiting for the moment to make a decisive turn toward the West, now might be the time. Vucic has warned of very difficult negotiations with the EU and US envoys, and has promised to inform the public in the coming days what is expected from Serbia regarding the Kosovo issue and the sanctions for Russia. He has made similar remarks before, but this time he reiterated that Serbia’s path is clear, and it is EU.
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