Belgrade, Serbia — Serbian lawmakers on Thursday elected a new government that reinstated two pro-Russian officials who are under U.S. sanctions, reflecting continued close ties with Moscow despite the Balkan nation’s proclaimed bid to join the European Union.
Prime Minister Miloš Vučević’s government won support in a 152-61 vote in the 250-member parliament. The remaining 37 legislators were absent.
The government includes former intelligence chief Aleksandar Vulin, who has made several visits to Russia in recent months, as one of several deputy prime ministers, along with Nenad Popović, another Russia supporter who has faced US sanctions.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the previous government, Ivica Dačić, also a pro-Russian politician, will be in charge of the Ministry of the Interior in the new Cabinet.
The vote followed a heated two-day debate. President Aleksandar Vučić’s ruling conservative nationalist Serbian Progressive Party has a comfortable majority after an election in December that fueled political tensions over reports of widespread irregularities.
The increasingly authoritarian Vučić has refused to join Western sanctions against Moscow for its large-scale invasion of Ukraine, although Serbia has condemned the aggression.
Vučević, the new prime minister, reiterated that Belgrade has no intention of imposing sanctions on Russia and “cannot and does not want to give up” friendship with Russia. EU integration remains a “strategic objective,” Vucevic said.
The “best possible relations” with the United States are also in Serbia’s interest, Vučević added. “I firmly believe that our relations can return to a high level.”
Security analyst and Belgrade University professor Filip Ejdus described the composition of the new government as a “turn” designed to send a message both to the West and Russia and to domestic voters.
“This sends a message to the EU that they should not put too much pressure on Belgrade on democracy, the rule of law or Kosovo if they want to keep Serbia in their orbit,” Ejdus said. “At the same time, it signals to Moscow its readiness to strengthen the strategic partnership with Russia.”
The United States imposed sanctions on Vulin in July, accusing him of being involved in illegal arms shipments, drug trafficking and abuse of public office.
The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said Vulin used his public authority to help a U.S.-sanctioned Serbian arms trafficker move illegal arms shipments across Serbia’s borders. Vulin is also accused of being involved in a drug trafficking ring, according to US authorities.
Vulin, who had previously served as army and police chief, recently received two medals of honor from Russia, one from the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the other from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Popović, a businessman and former government minister, has “used his Russia-based businesses to enrich himself and gain close connections with senior Kremlin leaders,” the US Treasury said in a statement last November.
US sanctions against people and companies in the Balkans are designed to counter attempts to undermine peace and stability in the volatile region and the “malign” influence of Russia.
The West has stepped up efforts to draw the troubled region into its fold, fearing Russia could spark unrest to divert attention from the war in Ukraine. The Balkans went through multiple wars in the 1990s and tensions still persist.
Serbia’s worsening democratic record has pushed the country away from EU integration, Ejdus explained. Reports of voter fraud in the December elections. 17 votes sparked street protests and clashes.
“Vučić still pretends to be on the EU path because it is beneficial for Serbia’s economy, and the EU tolerates his authoritarian tendencies for fear of the instability that could be caused in its backyard if Belgrade lost to Russia and China,” he said. Ejdus.