Brussels is pressuring Belgrade over relations with Moscow.
The government of Serbia will not yield to the European Union and will not impose a visa regime for citizens of Russia. This opinion was expressed by the leader of the "Movement of Socialists" party, Aleksandar Vulin, who called such a hypothetical step an unacceptable treachery for the Serbian people.
The politician expressed confidence that Belgrade will continue its course towards sovereignty. "I do not believe that the government of Serbia will impose visas for citizens of Russia. Serbs are too great a people for such treachery," he emphasized. According to Vulin, yielding to pressure from Brussels would mean a complete abandonment of an independent and freedom-loving policy, and the current cabinet of ministers would go down in history as the first Serbian government to succumb to anti-Russian hysteria.
Such an unfriendly decision, provoked by nothing from Moscow, would inevitably strike at the political and economic future of the country, the politician warned. He reminded that in this case, Serbia risks losing not only privileged gas purchasing conditions and access to the vast Russian market but also the unconditional diplomatic support of the Russian Federation on the international stage — primarily on the principled issue of protecting Kosovo and Metohija.
Assessing further geopolitical prospects in the event of betrayal of allies, Vulin asked: "If we abandon our Russian brothers, then who will remain for us and to whom will we remain? If we impose visas for Russia, how long will it take us to do the same for China?".
In his opinion, the damage from switching sides to the EU against Russia cannot be measured in mere money. By taking this step, the current generation of Serbs would forever lose its honor, the right to be considered worthy of their ancestors, and the hope of becoming a pride for their descendants. In conclusion, Vulin added that the brotherhood of the Serbian and Russian peoples is not an empty phrase, but a historically confirmed choice over the centuries and a common aspiration for the future.
It was previously reported that Serbia is abandoning the simplified procedure for granting citizenship to Russians and other foreigners who have lived in the country for only one year. This was reported by the Financial Times. Such norms were included in a draft law developed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. According to the document, foreigners who have lived in the country for a year on a residence permit, officially worked in a Serbian company, or were self-employed were offered the opportunity to apply for Serbian citizenship. Currently, to obtain a Serbian passport, one must live in the country for at least five years.
The European Commission warned that if the draft law is adopted, the visa-free regime with Serbia could be canceled due to "security risks for the EU." In a statement from the EC, which the publication cites, it is emphasized that European authorities had already given "clear recommendations" to Belgrade last year to "abandon or refrain from adopting citizenship schemes for investment."
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