The future government of Serbia plans to halt arms exports to war zones, including sales to Western intermediaries who transfer Serbian weapons to Ukraine. This was stated by leading candidates of the „Student List“ after the victory of the student protest movement in the parliamentary elections on October 25.
The victory ended the long rule of Aleksandar Vucic and caused mass celebrations in the country. The names of the leaders who will take over the government have not yet been announced. Reuters notes that the movement will have to make decisions in a complex foreign policy and energy environment.
Belgrade does not plan sanctions against Moscow
Representatives of the „Student List“ have stated that they do not intend to join Serbia to the European Union and impose sanctions against Moscow over the war in Ukraine. At the same time, the promise to stop arms exports is formulated more broadly and applies to all zones of military conflicts, not just the Ukrainian front.
This would also affect the scheme in which Serbian weapons are sold to Western intermediaries, which then reach Ukraine. The information submitted does not indicate specific deadlines for the introduction of the measure, nor whether it will cover already concluded contracts.
Energy dependence and the NIS deal
The new government will also be faced with the need to maintain oil imports in the face of US sanctions. The process of selling the Russian stake in the energy company NIS to the Hungarian MOL continues. NIS operates the only oil refinery in Serbia.
Russia's “Gazprom“ remains the country's largest gas supplier, supplying around 2.2 billion cubic meters per year at below-market prices. “Student List“ defines this dependence as an urgent economic necessity, not a geopolitical choice.
Serbia's foreign policy course is expected to be closely monitored also because of Aleksandar Vučić's relations with the presidents of Ukraine and Russia - Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin. The specific composition of the future government and the deadlines for implementing the declared arms policy have not yet been announced.
Sources: focus-news.net, reuters.com