Vučić on the Turkish arming of Pristina: They cannot scare or threaten us; UN to react; We will keep the peace

At the beginning of his address, Vučić spoke about the sanctions imposed on the Petroleum Industry of Serbia NIS.

"This is bad news, though expected. Extremely serious consequences for our country. The citizens of Serbia understand that this is not aimed at an individual; this is something that will affect every citizen. We must remain united. I had a conversation with the Russian ambassador. As a country that upholds the rule of law and has not boasted about seizing assets, we cannot, with joy, agree to models of capital or property expropriation. That is our decision. We expect a reaction from Moscow," he said.

On local elections on KiM

Vučić addressed the local elections in Kosovo and Metohija.

"There are local elections in Kosovo and Metohija on Sunday. We call on people to go to the polls, and we do not hide that we are urging citizens to vote for the Serb List, as they represent the interests of their people. This party has withstood the most terrible terror that any party could endure," he said.

He stated that since Kurti came to power, there have been 697 unprosecuted ethnic attacks. He noted that 157 Serbs have been arrested without any legal basis, charges, or other indictments.

"Six Serbs have been shot, including one child. There have been 205 instances of arbitrary police force against Serbian civilians," he said.

R.Z./ATAImages

On the arming of Pristina by Turkey

He then commented on Turkey’s arming of Pristina.

"Yesterday, I strongly reacted to the further arming of Albanians in Kosovo and Metohija by Turkey. This is not new — I will give you the facts — this is aimed at protecting the international public order. Since I saw foolish headlines in the domestic press saying 'you were hugging Erdogan'… I will always be a good host to Erdogan. That is my job, to build good relations, just as it is my job that when I see my people threatened by the illegal delivery of weapons, I stand on the side of my people. I will talk to Erdogan," he said, adding:

"A year ago, I asked Erdogan to stop arming Pristina. I explained and pointed to Resolution 1244 and other acts, and asked that this not happen. We also asked the Americans, but they said they had decided to provide 'Javelins' anyway. Is this a force that can scare or threaten Serbia? No, but it is a concerning intention to continue. The delivery of drones was planned for January but arrived yesterday, as Kurti boasted. We demand and ask the United Nations to respond; we ask that the resolutions adopted by the UN and the UN Charter be respected. We do not need further escalation; we will maintain peace and stability. We ask our Turkish partners to talk to us and take our interests into account. And to repeat for those who have not heard, I see what the Turkish media write. Turkey’s behavior is of great importance for this part of the region. Let me emphasize it once more: that is why I ask both them and Erdogan to consider the interests of the entire region, including Serbia. And that international law, the UN Charter, and UN resolutions must be respected."

He stressed that Serbia wants the closest possible relations with Turkey but asks for respect for the rights and interests of Serbia and the Serbian people.

On elections

"In the next year, at the latest, we will see what the will is. It will be the same as it is today.

I ask people to remain calm; the state will work better, more, and stronger than usual."

Commenting on Vjosa Osmani’s statement that he threatens so-called Kosovo as he threatens neighboring countries, Vučić said:

"She is not a neighboring country; she lives on our territory, and lives well," he said.

On his reaction to the arming of Pristina

"My thought process is completely logical. This is the thought process of a man who loves his country more than anything in the world and who understands how important Turkey is, and strives to maintain the best relations. And this is the golden age of Serbia-Turkey relations. The job of a president is that, at the moment when someone is illegally arming those living in Kosovo and Metohija, to point it out. Had I not done this, they would call me a coward. I am informing you now that I did the same more than a year ago. Back then, there were no drones, only Bayraktars… And even then, I acted responsibly. Yesterday, I reacted because I realized it was the last moment to do so. I cannot preserve relations with Turkey at the expense of the survival of our people in Kosovo and Metohija. And what does that have to do with the fact that I stood in defense of the Serbian people? This is a normal thought process; if it is not clear to you, I believe that is not my problem," he said.

On the electoral conditions

"Ana Brnabić has been trying for two years to fulfill the wishes of those who control everything in this country. The ODIHR has changed what we must implement ten times. They changed their opinion ten times, just to keep us going in circles, so that we couldn’t comply and they wouldn’t open Cluster 3 for us. For the first time today, I told her, 'Whatever they ask — give it to them.' Let’s see what they come up with next. They have been lying about the elections all along. When a person goes to vote, they take your fingerprint; you can’t vote twice. You have convinced yourselves of your own lies," he said.