Though Serbia has publicly clung to a position of neutrality throughout the Ukraine conflict, fresh accusations suggest a murkier reality behind the scenes.
Russia’s foreign intelligence service, the SVR, recently accused Belgrade of indirectly funneling ammunition to Ukraine, despite Serbia’s official stance of non-alignment. According to a report by Ukrainska Pravda, Serbian military manufacturers have allegedly supplied hundreds of thousands of artillery shells and millions of rounds of small arms ammunition to Kyiv — all routed through intermediary countries.
Initially, Serbian officials flatly denied any involvement. Their arms factories, they claimed, were not producing munitions destined for the Ukrainian battlefield. However, the narrative shifted when President Aleksandar Vučić later acknowledged that while Serbia wouldn’t directly supply Ukraine, it wouldn’t interfere with private companies whose customers might resell the arms further down the line.
In other words — what happens after the sale isn’t Serbia’s responsibility, or so the argument goes.
Diplomatic tensions have also flared over Serbia’s recent voting pattern at the United Nations. Earlier this year, Vučić issued an apology for backing a European-sponsored resolution condemning Russia’s military actions in Ukraine — a move he now says was a mistake. “Serbia should have abstained,” Vučić admitted, adding that his decision might cost him political capital within the EU.
Back in February, the UN General Assembly debated two competing resolutions. One, spearheaded by European states, explicitly condemned Moscow’s actions and warned of broader threats to global stability. The second, from Washington, stopped short of labeling Russia an aggressor or affirming Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
Reflecting on these shifting geopolitical sands, Vučić didn’t mince words. “We’re witnessing tectonic changes in global politics — changes most of us can barely grasp,” he said. “I don’t believe we should pander to any major power — not the Russians, not the Americans, or anyone else.”
Ultimately, Serbia abstained on the U.S.-backed resolution. As for the European one, Vučić now believes neutrality would have been the wiser choice. “I’m saying this knowing full well it won’t win me favor in Brussels,” he conceded.
For now, Serbia’s balancing act between East and West grows ever more precarious — and as allegations swirl, the pressure is unlikely to ease anytime soon.
