Serbian party demands dismissal of minister who called for sanctions against Russia

The Movement of Socialists (PS) of Serbia, headed by Aleksandar Vulin, director of the Security Intelligence Agency, has called for the removal of Minister of the Economy Rade Basta for advocating Serbia's participation in sanctions against Russia, reported Russian news agency TASS.

"Now, when we need unity, Basta seeks to divide the government of Serbia on the issue of joining the illegal sanctions against the Russian Federation...It is particularly shameful that Basta is hiding behind the back of the President of Serbia, in order to undermine the independence and neutrality, which Aleksandar Vucic protects both from the foreigners and such domestic cowards," the Movement said in its statement.

"We expect that Basta will show with his resignation from the government how much he really cares for what he is looking for, should he fail to gain support from other ministers in his fight against an independent, neutral and freedom-loving policy of our Serbia. The Movement of Socialists, founded by Aleksandar Vulin, opposes imposition of sanctions against the Russian Federation."

Previously, Basta stated that Serbia "is already paying a high price for not imposing sanctions against Russia" and urged the country to align with the policy of imposing sanctions. He also urged all ministers to express their views on this matter.

Regarding this matter, Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, emphasised that "if Serbia were to impose sanctions against Russia, the pressure from the US would not stop, but rather, it would intensify". She also stated that "unlike the US, Russia has always shown respect for Serbia and its people".

What has Serbia's position been?

The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has been straining Russia's relationship with one of its closest allies in Europe, Serbia. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who used to have regular communication with Russian President Vladimir Putin, has now reportedly distanced himself from Moscow's actions in Ukraine.

During a recent press interview, Vucic dismissed Putin's territorial claims in Ukraine and predicted that the conflict is far from over, saying that the "worst is yet to come" as both sides dig in. He also revealed that he hadn't spoken with Putin for several months.

Vučić emphasized that Serbia cannot and will not support Russia's invasion of Ukraine, stating, "For us, Crimea is Ukraine, Donbas is Ukraine, and it will remain so." This statement represents a significant shift in Serbia's stance since Putin's invasion of Ukraine nearly 11 months ago.

Historically, Serbia has tried to balance its geopolitical and economic interests between the East and the West, but these comments indicate a gradual shift towards the West.