EU's Reaction After Vučić-Putin Conversation: We Expect Serbia to Align with Our Policy Towards Russia

Author: M.J. GDNUS

The European Union expects Serbia to align with EU legal standards, including its policy towards Russia, and to share the same principles and values as Brussels, stated the European Commission spokesperson in response to a request for comment on the phone call between President Aleksandar Vučić and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"Serbia is a candidate country and is negotiating EU membership. This implies that the country must align with EU legal standards, including alignment with the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and restrictive measures against Russia. The EU relies on Serbia as a reliable European partner that shares the same principles and values," the European Commission spokesperson wrote in a response to Voice of America's Serbian service.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin condemned "foreign interference" in Serbia during a phone conversation with President Aleksandar Vučić on Friday, while anti-corruption protests were shaking the country.

Without providing further details, Vučić posted on Instagram that he and Putin discussed the renewal of the gas agreement, which expires on May 31, and the sanctions imposed by the U.S. Department of the Treasury on NIS, Serbia's oil company, which is majority-owned by Russian Gazprom Neft.