Serbia - the largest republic of the former Yugoslavia - applied to join the EU in 2009 and has been a candidate since 2012, but the European Union recently asked to recognize the breakaway province of Kosovo as conditions for joining.
“BRICS does not ask for anything from Serbia and offers more than we want. The EU asks us for everything and I am no longer sure what they can provide,” Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin told Russian news agency RIA Novosti on August 11.
“We see BRICS as an opportunity and an alternative. Serbia is actively considering all the possibilities that BRICS offers and cooperating more closely with BRICS member states,” Mr. Vulin added.
According to Deputy Prime Minister Vulin, Serbia is expecting an official invitation to attend the BRICS summit, scheduled to take place at the end of October in Kazan, Russia.
Despite enormous pressure from the EU, Serbia still does not participate in US and EU sanctions on Russia, officially pledges neutrality in the Ukraine conflict and maintains trade relations with both Russia and the West.
According to Mr. Vulin, this has caused Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to face many risks, even the risk of assassination.
"Something happened to everyone who called for a peaceful solution in Ukraine, they were all shot," Mr. Vulin said, noting the failed assassinations of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and former US President Donald Trump.
"General Vucic's life is being threatened by those who want Serbia to stop being neutral, punish Russia, and recognize Kosovo's independence," Mr. Vulin said.
Mr. Vulin said Serbia wants peace and does not agree with EU and NATO members who seek to achieve the impossible goal of defeating Russia by proxy war.
“Peace in Ukraine can be achieved in Istanbul,” Mr. Vulin said, referring to the Turkish-brokered negotiations between Russia and Ukraine . “But that did not happen because those who made decisions about peace in Ukraine were not Ukrainians and wanted to fight Russia to the last Ukrainian,” he said.
Mr. Vulin has held the position of Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia since May. Previously, he ran the Security Intelligence Agency (BIA) from December 2022 to November 2023. According to persistent rumors, he was forced to leave under pressure from the US.
Previously, he served as Serbian Defense Minister (2017-2020) and Interior Minister (2020-2022).
