London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Serbia must choose between EU and Russia, says Germany

Serbia must choose between EU and Russia, says Germany

Country’s military placed on high alert because of mounting tensions in Kosovo
Serbia must decide whether it wants to join the EU or cultivate deeper ties with Russia, Germany has said, amid media reports that Belgrade had placed its military on high alert because of mounting tensions in Kosovo.

Two days before a western Balkans summit in Berlin aimed at bolstering relations with the region’s six countries, a senior German official said Serbia had to decided whether it was on the side of Moscow or the EU.

“The need for a decision is coming to a head,” said the official, who asked not to be identified. “The relationship with Serbia is complex – there is light as well as shadows. Serbia’s relations with Russia are certainly part of the shadows.”

The official said Berlin had been “surprised and disappointed” when Serbia’s foreign minister, Nikola Selaković, last month signed an agreement with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, agreeing to consult each other on foreign policy.

Serbia, an EU accession candidate since 2012, has struggled to balance historically close ties with Russia against aspirations for integration with Europe, and tensions have been exacerbated by the war in Ukraine with many Serbs sympathetic to Russia.

The country’s president, Aleksandar Vučić, “will have support from from the EU as a whole and from the German government if he takes the path to Europe”, the official said. “Should he choose the other path, it will have ensuing consequences.”

It comes as Serbian media reported the country’s defence minister, Miloš Vučević, as saying its military had been placed on high alert because of tensions in Kosovo.

“We cannot be relaxed, and we stand for dialogue,” Vučević said, adding that the country’s army stood ready to “protect all citizens of Serbia, including the Serbs in Kosovo, and no one should doubt that”.

Kosovo last week said it was postponing a plan to confiscate cars owned by ethnic Serbs who refuse to use local car registration plates after the EU and multiple western countries warned the move would inflame ethnic tensions.

Kosovo has tried repeatedly to mandate its Serb minority to change their old plates dating back to before 1999, when Kosovo was still part of Serbia, but there has been fierce resistance by local Serbs.

The EU said on Saturday Kosovo was entitled to phase out the plates but should allow a longer transition period. Kosovo declared independence in 2008 but about 50,000 ethnic Serbs who live in the northern part refuse to recognise Pristina’s authority.

Thursday’s summit, hosted by the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, will bring together the heads of government of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia as well as EU leaders to sign accords on mutual recognition of ID documents, university degrees and professional qualifications.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×