The United States’ sanctions against the Serbian oil company NIS, due to its Russian ownership, do not necessarily mark the definitive end of Serbia’s policy of balancing between East and West. This is the view of some geopolitical experts, who also emphasize that pressures will continue to rise, suggesting that Serbia will soon be forced to make difficult choices.

The sanctions targeting the Oil Industry of Serbia (NIS), which is owned by the state and part of Gazprom, have raised questions about the future of Serbia’s foreign policy. Igor Novaković, from the Center for International and Security Affairs (ISAC), reminds us that Serbia has developed strong ties with China and that the shift away from Russia currently unfolding does not seem to be driven by the desires of the Serbian leadership. Instead, it appears to be a response to the deepening conflict between the West and Russia.

“Given the geopolitical position we are in, surrounded by the West, it is only natural that we are being forced to make choices. This choice should have come much earlier, but it now arrives at a time when, most likely, there is no other exit,” Novaković says.

The potential turning point for Serbia’s foreign policy remains unclear, as it is difficult to predict the future, particularly with the emergence of a new US administration under President Trump. Novaković notes that Trump’s policies are still ambiguous, with many signals suggesting a period of unpredictability and possible further polarization between the global South and the West.

“In this context, Serbia will have to choose even more decisively,” Novaković concludes.

Srećko Đukić, a career diplomat, suggests that the sanctions imposed on NIS may signal the beginning of the end of Serbia’s policy of balancing between East and West, but not necessarily its conclusion. He argues that now is the time for Serbia to reevaluate its foreign policy approach and adopt a course that best serves the country and its people in the global environment.

“I believe that it is time for a serious re-examination of Serbia’s foreign policy concept. We can no longer afford to sit on multiple chairs, balancing between East and West. This policy only leads the country through a minefield,” says Đukić.

Whether the sanctions against NIS will mark the end of Serbia’s balancing act between East and West, and whether the cost of this balancing could be high, remains to be seen in the coming days. According to Đukić, “Having now stepped on the Russian sanctions, we can’t rule out the possibility of facing other sanctions in the near future. We cannot predict this at this moment. In any case, this rigid anti-sanction policy deserves serious reconsideration.”

Source: TV Nova