Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said on Tuesday that Europe’s tensions with Russia have “gone too far” and that Serbia must continue to strengthen its military capabilities, including building a defensive “protective dome” over the country.
“We must prepare ourselves. We have to keep investing heavily to protect our country and strengthen our air defense forces — to try to create a kind of protective shield over Serbia,” Vučić said in a late-night interview with broadcaster TV Pink. “It’s difficult and costly, but necessary.”
He added that Serbia would continue to equip and modernize its armed forces “to defend our people and our country from any potential aggressor.”
Vučić’s remarks came after French General Fabien Mandon said that France’s military was preparing for the possibility of a conflict with Russia within the next several years.
On economic issues, Vučić said he could not reveal the identity of the “third party” reportedly negotiating with Russian owners of the Petroleum Industry of Serbia (NIS), but warned that time was running out for a deal. “Let no one think I won’t protect Serbia’s interests,” he said, referring to reports that Russian shareholders had asked the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to extend NIS’s operating license.
Vučić also confirmed he would travel to Paris on Thursday for what he described as an “extremely important” meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss bilateral relations, Serbia’s EU path, and regional security.
Marking Armistice Day, Vučić said Serbia should instead celebrate “Victory Day in the Great War,” arguing that the country “was on the right, liberating and victorious side” during World War I. “Almost at any cost, we must avoid conflicts and preserve peace,” he said, adding that Serbia must remain “strong enough to deter anyone from attacking or humiliating it again.”
Addressing domestic affairs, Vučić denied that Serbia plans to sell the land where the former General Staff building stands in central Belgrade, saying the site would instead be leased for 99 years to foreign investors in a deal worth at least €650 million. “We’re not selling, we’re giving it in long-term lease,” he said.
The president also commented on ongoing protests over a fatal accident in Novi Sad, saying he would continue efforts to persuade the victim’s mother, Dijana Hrka, to end her hunger strike. Vučić said their recent phone conversation had been “decent” but was illegally recorded. “I stand by every word I said — they were words of truth and compassion,” he said.