Vučić on TV Prva: The days ahead of us will only get worse, our position is terrible

Vučić on TV Prva: The days ahead of us will only get worse, our position is terrible

He answers a number of questions concerning our country: How strong is the tsunami that caused the war in Ukraine? Which way will Serbia go next? Can our country stay on its feet? What does it depend on? What does the European Union ask of us, what does Russia expect? What are our vital national interests? Who and how can protect them?

At the very beginning, he referred to the current situation in Ukraine, saying that it would not be fair to say who asked us to impose sanctions on Russia.

"I discussed other topics with the Austrian Chancellor. The essence is that Serbia is in a very difficult position. It is not only politics, but also the economy. I cannot hide that kind of concern even if I want to," the president said, adding that he does not deal with other problems at all.

"We are so obsessed with saving the country. This latest decision of the OSCE is especially difficult for us because it concerns the import of oil, but not only that. It also concerns the possible import of chemicals that we need for refineries," Vucic was clear. Apart from Aleksandar Vučić, Suzana Grubjesic is a guest in the "Prva tema" show, together with lawyer Milan Antonijevic. At the very beginning of Grubjesic's presentation, she stated that more has happened in these three weeks than in the last 30 years.

"We are witnessing the destruction of something that happened and the creation of something new, and Serbia cannot remain isolated there. There is no doubt that there is a lot of pressure coming from both the East and the West," she said.

Milan Antonijevic pointed out that Serbia can send much clearer messages and that the EU rightly expects the alignment of our policy with the EU. "The EU rightly demands that from Serbia, and the EU expects sanctions, and we need to see what is the possibility for Serbia to protect its interests there," he pointed out.

In his further presentation, the President of Serbia referred to 2013.

"I could write a novel about those nights. They demanded that Albanian police officers be two-thirds in the north of Kosovo and Metohija and that we agree that Kosovo should join the UN," he said, emphasizing that he made a different decision on his own.

"Then we refused and then great pressures started, but in the end they accepted that the Brussels agreement should be without both norms. Then I estimated that we could push it out. With all their threats, it was my rational assessment that we could do it," he said.

He added that today the situation is different.

"Today, things are much harder than back then. Today, when you talk about the conflict in the former Yugoslavia, we always find the culprit in someone else. And I think that two are needed in a war conflict. And I say that Milosevic is not guilty, but it was his duty to calculate the consequences. I would say the same to Putin and Zelensky. It is up to you to accept that guilt - to be traitors, to lose the elections but to save the country.

He asked "whether anyone in Ukraine count on someone to intervene, and in the end they will sign the same agreement that they would sign now."

"Only the country will be much more destroyed. Do you want an end to the war or victory - that is a question for both sides. I am afraid that everyone is waiting for victory. And if so, I can tell you tonight that it will only get worse and that the days, weeks and months ahead of us will only get worse", Vučić was clear.

He especially emphasized that "we are against the notion that we should choose whether we love Russians or Europeans because we have to deal with our difficulties. It is more important than being ideologically on one side or the other. In the last ten years, the Russians have always been on the side of Serbia, and you are leading us to lose the only ally we had in the Security Council," he said. Russia is the only one that has always been with us".

"You must not forget such things." To the accusations that he promised the West that he would impose sanctions on Russia after the elections, Vučić answered that "the only thing he said was that we guarantee peace as far as Serbia is concerned".

"We will not support secession anywhere in the region. We will guard the borders, we want Serbia to move forward. You have my word, and then I added that I am not ready to provide guarantees (imposition of sanctions on Russia) for such a thing."

"It is my job to protect the interests of the people." He emphasized that people do not understand what is happening at the moment and that he has never experienced this kind of pressure.

"I don't know what tomorrow brings and we have the most difficult situation in the world since 1945. This is a children's game of what will happen when Mariupol falls." Suzana Grubjesic added to his words, saying that "I am under impression that we live in a pre-war age".

"Already on the third day of the war, the issue of nuclear weapons was raised. When Macron says that hunger is threatening - we all believe him, when Vučić says that - we do not believe," she said.

Antonijevic pointed out that "we need to find a way to formulate the policy of Serbia, by reaching for a compromise".

"It is difficult to predict, the future of Europe, our region, Russia, is at stake in this game. China is also approaching these events with caution," he said, adding that he should be straightforward with the citizens and explain the current events in more detail.

He stated that China is waiting for the Congress of the Communist Party, at which Xi is expected to be elected as a lifelong leader. "China will be careful and will not go along with the American matrix. I do not believe that Xi will do that."

Then he looked at the region.

"Why is this happening in the region? Djukanovic, Kurti and Komsic. We all know what Komsic said in Brussels and no one from here answered him because we do not want to enter into conflicts. I did not say a word regarding Milo Djukanovic's interview," he said, adding that he "does not know what to talk to him about, because they do not have the same interests".

"They are doing it today because they are sure they can harm Serbia." He pointed out that there are no values, principles and morals.

"The problem is that we have to behave in a way that saves people's heads and we are stuck between the fact that there are no morals, values and principles, and on the other hand we respect the right of the stronger. The third thing is how to survive," he said.

He pointed out that he doesn't know if we will endure everything because it is not known what will happen tomorrow. He especially emphasized that he would not allow them to attack Serbia. "I would never allow that."

According to him, "Serbia and Ukraine can only say that they respect international public law, no one else can say that."

"Much worse things had happened to Serbia than what is currently happening to Ukraine. That is why we should behave differently now," Vucic said.

Commenting on the implementation of international public law, Grubejšić said that "judging by our example, it experienced a death sentence".