MOSCOW: Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday at an economic forum in Vladivostok, less than a week after Serbia signed a multi-billion-dollar deal with France to purchase twelve Rafale fighter jets.
The forum, which was held on the sidelines of Putin’s state visit to Mongolia, provided a backdrop for the high-profile meeting between the Serbian official and the Russian leader. During their meeting, Putin extended an invitation to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to attend the BRICS summit scheduled to take place in Kazan this October.
In his remarks, Vulin underscored Serbia’s commitment to maintaining its strategic alliance with Russia, stating, “Serbia will never become a NATO member, will never impose sanctions on the Russian Federation, and will never allow any anti-Russian actions to be carried out from its territory.”
The timing of the meeting is crucial, coming shortly after Serbia concluded a significant arms deal with France. Last week, Belgrade finalized an agreement with Dassault Aviation to acquire twelve Rafale warplanes. The acquisition is aimed at modernizing Serbia’s air capabilities and replacing its outdated Soviet-era combat jets. Despite the strategic pivot towards French military technology, Vulin assured that the deal would not adversely affect Serbia’s relations with Russia.
“The agreement was done for military and practical reasons and will in no way have a negative impact on relations between the Republic of Serbia and the Russian Federation,” Vulin told the Russian news agency TASS following the deal’s announcement.
Serbia and Russia have historically close ties. Belgrade has also remained a rare outlier in Europe for refusing to join international sanctions against the Kremlin over Ukraine.
Vulin, who has been a staunch supporter of the Kremlin within Serbian political circles, has faced criticism from Western nations. In 2023, he was sanctioned by the United States over alleged corruption during his tenure as head of Serbia’s intelligence services. He resigned from that position in November 2023 amid mounting Western pressure and was subsequently appointed as deputy prime minister in May 2024.
