Belgrade has offered Brussels a long-term contract to purchase all available stock as Serbian arms factories are producing at record levels, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić told German magazine Cicero in an interview.
However, Vučić said Serbia is militarily neutral and “fair” toward both sides of the war in Ukraine.
“Our warehouses are full. We produce more mortar shells than France,” Vučić told Cicero. “I offered our European friends a long-term contract – they can take everything we have.”
When asked whether those munitions could ultimately reach Ukraine, Vučić repeated: “The buyers can do what they want.”
Balancing between Brussels, Moscow
Vučić said Serbia wants to be a “security contributor” to Europe while staying out of military alliances.
“I’ve always said that Serbia is militarily neutral, but we are absolutely ready to cooperate with European armies,” he said, noting joint missions with European countries in Africa and Asia.
At the same time, Vučić rejected claims that Serbia’s close relationship with Moscow poses a threat to European security.
“We have never endangered anyone in Europe. On the contrary – we have always been a stability anchor in the region,” he said.
Energy dependence and Russian ties
Vučić defended Serbia’s ties with Russia, saying Belgrade’s reliance on Russian gas and political realities in the Balkans make a full break with Moscow “impossible.”
“We have problems in Serbia that other European countries don’t face,” he said. “Our industry depends on Russian gas… and you know who supports us regarding our territorial integrity and who does not.”
Vučić also justified his attendance at Russia’s Victory Day parade earlier this year, describing it as a matter of historical duty.
“The Red Army and Yugoslav partisans liberated Belgrade together,” he said. “Out of respect for Ukraine, we did not appear with soldiers or military equipment.”
On refusal to sanction Russia
While refusing to impose sanctions on Russia, Vučić insisted that Serbia had “helped Ukraine more than people think.”
“Ask President Zelensky who from the Balkans helped Ukraine the most financially and humanitarily – the answer might surprise you,” he said.
He added that he has not met Russian President Vladimir Putin “for three years and three months,” emphasizing that Serbia condemned the invasion and aligned with “over 60 percent” of EU foreign policy positions.
European ambitions, uncertain path
Vučić said Serbia’s goal is full EU membership despite criticism over its balancing act between Moscow and Brussels.
“I’ve told President Putin at least 10 times that Serbia is on its way to the EU,” he said. “People in Serbia want to live in democracy and have better living conditions.”
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Serbia has voted at the UN in support of Ukraine’s territorial integrity but has avoided sanctions on Moscow. Western diplomats remain wary of Belgrade’s proclaimed neutrality, as Vučić continues to navigate between economic dependence on Russia and his stated ambition to join the EU.