Speaking to Prva Srpska Televizija on 27 October, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announced €8.4 million worth of generators and transformers for Ukraine. Additionally, he announced a summit of European leaders next week.
President Vučić announced his upcoming participation in the European Political Community summit in Budapest on 7 November.
“I will have the opportunity to speak at the plenary session for the first time after a long time,” he said, noting that other speakers would include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, French President Emmanuel Macron, and potentially Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
“But what should I say and how should I say it to please someone while telling the truth? How can I please someone while telling the truth? And the truth is people – stop the war, stop the war for God’s sake, literally for God’s sake. No one will have anything to eat, no one will have electricity. The situation with electricity is super like that,” Vučić said.
Putin’s speculations and Vučić’s worries
During the interview, Vučić revealed details from his recent conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who, he says, believes that “Ukraine made the biggest mistake around Kursk” and threatens that Ukraine’s “most elite soldiers there” would face losses.
The Serbian president speculated that Western military strategists consider Ukrainian attacks on Russian ammunition depots on the Russian soil “a mistake,” and suggested that Russian reaction to such attacks can range from “a strike somewhere on Ukrainian territory” to “using some new type of weapons” or “a strike on some third[-country] territories,” concluding “That’s why I’m worried.“
Vučić believes that Russia “won’t easily accept a ceasefire without conditions,” emphasizing that neither the West nor Russia could afford to lose, warning “We will all lose. There’s no happiness here.”
On US elections and Zelenskyy
Vučić said he discussed the potential outcomes of the upcoming US elections with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, two most pro-Russian European politicians. He suggested that if Trump wins the presidency and put forward his “war end” plan, “he has leverage and influence on Zelenskyy, there is no doubt. However, Zelenskyy objects or doesn’t object, he’ll have to obey.”
Regarding potential US leadership changes, Vučić noted that if Kamala Harris wins, “she will not maintain a full continuity of Joe Biden’s policies,” adding that Biden was “a known thing,” which “often a very good thing.“
We now have two unknowns coming from the United States. One less known and one more unknown.
Related:
- 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
- Zelenskyy meets with President of Serbia
