Vučić's two or three chairs: There is no reason for him to change his foreign policy

"The killer's name is Putin", "Peace to Ukraine, freedom to Russia". Demonstrators wave the flags of Ukraine and the European Union, the Catholic News Agency (KNA) describes the scenes from Serbia from the previous days, writes Deutsche Welle. 

There are Russians on the streets of Novi Sad, they also lit a sea of ​​candles in Belgrade for Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.

However, the space for opponents of the Russian authorities in Serbia is narrowing - the authorities of the country they fled to are close allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Serbia has repeatedly received international criticism in the past two years, because Belgrade did not impose sanctions on Moscow, KNA reminds. But, since then, Belgrade has also become a popular destination for Russians to vacation or escape. Ironically, many of Putin's critics are among them.

"Many Russian migrants live in Serbia today, including representatives of civil society and the opposition," says Belgrade-based political scientist Nikola Burazer.

Ukrainians also fled to Serbia because of Russian aggression, but there are far more Russians and they are more visible. "Ukrainian refugees had many options, including going to EU countries. Russian migrants are not," says Burazer.

After all, Serbs and Russians are connected by culture. The Orthodox faith serves as a link, says Balkan expert Florian Biber. "Among conservative nationalists in Serbia, there is a feeling that Russia is a big brother," he says, adding that this myth is reinforced by the media and churches.

Neutrality as a little here, a little there

Some observers assess the foreign policy of President Aleksandar Vučić as a political odyssey, writes KNA. While claiming that the country is neutral, it aspires to EU membership and at the same time maintains good relations with China and Russia.

The Belgrade strongman emphasized that relations with Russia will become "difficult" after Navalny's death. But, almost in the same breath, he rejected the idea of ​​imposing sanctions on the ally.

"That's a typical Vučić. He says what they want to hear in Moscow, Brussels and Beijing," says Dušan Reljić, an expert on the Balkans.

In mid-February, during national holidays in Serbia, Vučić presented his people with a new military arsenal: anti-aircraft systems, tanks and missiles - purchased in Moscow.

It must have been a blow to the Russians in exile. "There are reports that the Serbian authorities are administratively harassing them or even spying on them at the expense of Russia," says political scientist Burazer.

The same day, the media wrote about a Russian woman in Belgrade whose residence permit was revoked after she signed a petition against the attack on Ukraine.

The Russian Democratic Society, an organization run from Belgrade, states that more and more critical Russians are experiencing a similar fate in Belgrade.

Vučić has no reason to change his policy

Serbia has been a candidate for membership in the European Union since 2012. In recent weeks, membership in the EU has once again been distant, and not only because of relations with Russia and China, writes KNA.

Belgrade is moving away from Brussels also because of domestic politics. It is claimed that the parliamentary and local elections in December were marked by vote buying and intimidation, especially by propaganda media where Vučić explains the world to Serbs almost every day. The EU Parliament demanded an independent investigation.

There is still no recognition of Kosovo, which is a prerequisite for Serbia's entry into the EU, according to the agency.

Can Vučić maintain his course? in a world that is increasingly marked by polarization? Reljic answers with the question: "What prevents him from continuing like this?"

He says the EU is not clearly committed to enlargement, and even the money from the EU's pre-accession funds is not a serious means of pressure. Serbia could economically keep its head above water even without the help of Brussels.

In addition, Vučić will not turn away from the two powers that have the right of veto in the Security Council until the Kosovo issue is resolved, says Reljić. "A good understanding with Moscow and Beijing is of the utmost importance," he sums up.