Vladimir Putin: "I hope Vučić will be Prime Minister of Serbia"

“The current leadership of Serbia and, until recently, the president, and in the future, I hope, Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić, is pursuing a restrained policy, demonstrating a desire for cooperation with Russia, and we, of course, welcome that and will respond in kind,” Putin said at the plenary session of the Valdai Discussion Club, RIA Novosti reported.

The Russian president said that Russia highly values Belgrade’s stance in refusing to impose sanctions on Russia.

Speaking about Serbia-Russia relations, Putin said that Serbs, as he put it, have been divided because of “Western intrigues,” and described this as unfair.

Asked whether he was concerned about the arrival of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Belgrade, Putin replied: “That may confuse the girls, while we are dealing with politics.”

During his remarks, Putin also spoke about Serbia’s relations with other countries and Belgrade’s international position, saying that Moscow appreciates Serbia’s willingness to pursue an independent policy and maintain its stance on sanctions against Russia.