Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic stated that Europe is currently on the brink of a larger conflict. He shared this view during the podcast “MD Meets,” hosted by Axel-Springer board member Mathias Döpfner, following his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Vucic’s reception of the Ukrainian president surprised the international community and drew strong criticism in Serbia, a country traditionally aligned with Russia. Even within Russia, he faced backlash from propagandists who accused the Serb of betraying the partnership with Moscow by engaging in economic agreements with Ukraine in aid of the fight against Russia.
Vucic commented, “I believe we are at the beginning of a larger war. And because of that, I hoped someone else would have done something by now to create peace.” Since this has not happened and is unlikely soon, he concluded that the region stands on the edge of a far more significant conflict.
His prognosis for the war between Russia and Ukraine is decidedly pessimistic. He does not anticipate the conflict ending this year, nor before the coming spring. Explaining his stance, Vucic said, “I tell you why: because I believe that one side has to be stronger-and in some way, victorious-for the war to end.” Given the current stalemate, he sees no possibility of compromise solutions.
He attributed the impasse to a mutual unwillingness to compromise. Analyzing the current situation, Vucic believes that no one truly wants peace; rather, everyone wants to see the other side fail.
When Döpfner questioned him about Russia’s assaults on European countries, Vucic adopted Moscow’s perspective. He argued that Russia’s “hybrid war” against Germany and other European nations is essentially the same as what Europe has done against Russia. Vucic asked pointedly, “You armed Ukraine and placed sanctions on Russia. At the same time, you financially supported Ukraine-what is that if not a hybrid war against Russia?”
Nevertheless, Vucic conceded that Ukraine did not start the war against Russia, emphasizing that perpetrators and victims should not be confused.
