The Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has leveled serious accusations against Germany in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung (FAS). These allegations, previously aired primarily in Serbian media, center around claims of German support and funding for protests against his government.
When questioned about his repeated assertions of possessing evidence to substantiate these claims, without ever presenting it, Vucic stated he still retains this information, but refrains from disclosing it to avoid straining relations. He maintains that political foundations based in Germany are financing organizations within Serbia which, in turn, pay individuals to participate in demonstrations. He emphasized that while not claiming external entities are solely responsible for organizing the protests, he believes they are providing significant financial backing.
Responding to inquiries regarding a report published by a Serbian think tank aligned with the government, alleging involvement of the German Federal Intelligence Service (BND) in training Serbian students to protest against him, Vucic refuted the specific claim of BND training. However, he added that he finds it noteworthy that key organizers of the protests previously received scholarships and financial assistance from the German state. He did not provide any supporting documentation for this assertion.
Vucic also denied accusations that the Serbian police utilized a sound cannon against demonstrators in March. He attributed the reports to a falsehood, citing an investigation by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) which, according to him, confirmed the weapon was not deployed. Addressing concerns regarding the credibility of Russian intelligence agencies, Vucic noted his own recent criticism of such entities, specifically mentioning a claim by the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) alleging Serbian arms sales to Ukraine, which he deemed highly offensive. Despite this, he reiterated Serbia’s commitment to maintaining positive relations with Russia.
