Russia-Ukraine War: Serbia President reiterates to remain neutral & not join NATO

While addressing an election rally of the Serbian Progressive Party in Backa Palanka on Sunday, Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic said that Serbia will hold on to its military neutral position and will continue to remain out of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). 

"Someone says: "Never say never, maybe we will join NATO someday." But I say: we don't need to join NATO. I think Serbia should remain militarily neutral, protect its military neutrality and develop its army," the Serbian President said as quoted by the Russian news agency TASS.

Vucic who is running for the second term, apprised that he stregthened the Serbian army, unlike his rivals running for the presidential race, who destroyed the army. "We are strengthening our army in order to defend our sky, our land, ourselves and never depend on anyone except our people. This is our policy," he stressed.

Serbia continues on its stand on remaining Military Neutral

Serbia has reiterated the country's position on remaining military neutral amid the Russia-Ukraine war and also on the stand of not joining military alliance NATO. Serbia's Internal Affairs Minister Aleksandar Vulin, earlier in October 2021 had stated, "As long as Serbia is led by President Vucic and as long I remain in the security structure, Serbia will not become a NATO member state, we will remain strictly committed to maintaining our military neutrality.” 

He added, “Serbia will never support Russia sanctions or anti-Russia hysteria. History has shown that Russophobia always involves Serbophobia. We have never seen anyone attack Russia and not attack Serbia at the same time. It no longer depends on us, this is just a pattern.”

Meanwhile, on Sunday, Serbia's President announced reducing the number of flights for Moscow to one flight a day. He came under intense criticism over the country's national carrier AirSerbia doubling the number of flights after the war in Ukraine. Serbia, by increasing the number of seats for Russia ignored the European Union-wide ban.  

“Serbia is the only one in Europe with an open sky to Russia,” Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Emine Dzheppar tweeted. “Making money on (Ukrainian) blood is unworthy of an EU candidate country,” as reported by AP.

Image: Facebook/Aleksandar Vučić