Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić revealed that Russian President Vladimir Putin has reaffirmed his commitment to achieving “all the goals” of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and showed no interest in a negotiated ceasefire, Bloomberg reported on 30 October.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) assesses that Putin’s goals are “tantamount to the destruction of Ukrainian statehood and government,” noting that “a negotiated ceasefire on current lines and under current circumstances will only benefit Russia and will afford the Kremlin time to further radicalize and militarize Russian society against Ukraine and the Russian military time to rest and reconstitute, likely before conducting a future attack on Ukraine.”
Russia’s goals of its invasion of Ukraine that it calls a “special military operation” included the alleged “denazification and demilitarization” of Ukraine, effectively demanding Ukraine’s capitulation and the ceding of territory. Regarding a ceasefire, Putin previously said Ukraine would need to withdraw troops from its territories Russia claims to have annexed before a ceasefire could begin, a proposal Ukraine’s president called a Hitler-like “ultimatum”.
According to Bloomberg, the conversation of Vučić and Putin took place in October and marked the first direct communication between the two leaders in two and a half years. During the call, Vučić said he attempted to discuss the possibility of a ceasefire in Ukraine, but Putin remained unmoved.
“All the goals of special military operations, as he said it, will be fulfilled,” Vučić quoted Putin as saying in his interview with Bloomberg.
This position aligns with Putin’s previous statements. During a press conference with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on 5 July, Putin explicitly rejected any negotiated ceasefire, Bloomberg reports, claiming it would allow Ukraine to regroup and rearm.
In the interview with Bloomberg, Vučić urged for a ceasefire, arguing it would somehow serve Western interests and suggesting the next US president should broker a truce to bring Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table.
“Make a truce as soon as possible,” Vučić stated. “Then there will be ways to reach long-term peace — but taking this first step quickly is essential.”
Vučić did not specify how exactly a ceasefire would achieve anything beyond freezing the conflict, solidifying Russia’s hold on occupied territories, and giving Russia time to prepare for further large-scale assaults.
In an earlier interview with Serbian TV, Vučić also said that Putin told him he believes that “Ukraine made the biggest mistake around Kursk” and threatens that Ukraine’s “most elite soldiers there” would face losses.
Historically allied with Russia, Serbia has been an EU candidate since 2009, yet most Serbs continue to favor Russia over the EU. Belgrade relies on Moscow to oppose Kosovo’s international recognition and UN membership. Serbia condemned Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine but refuses to join international sanctions against Russia and is among the countries, aiding Russia to evade EU and G7 sanctions.
Vučić’s position on a ceasefire mirrors that of other Russian allies, including Hungary, India, and China.
Related:
- Vučić: Serbia to provide Ukraine with generators, transformers worth € 8.4 mn
- Diplomatic dispute erupts between Hungary and Croatia over Ukraine
- Kosovo leader warns Russian victory in Ukraine could threaten Balkan peace
- ISW: Russia relies on India, Serbia, China to evade sanctions
- Serbia won’t ban ammo sales to third countries supplying Ukraine, PM Vučević says
- FT: €800mn worth of ammunition from Serbia reached Ukraine via third parties
- Media: Russia plans to boost recruitment of Serbs to battle against Ukraine
