Serbia is secretly stepping up ammunition sales to the West, and it is bolstering Ukraine's defense. At the same time, the country has not joined Western sanctions against Russia.
The Financial Times estimates that Serbia has exported 800 million euros worth of ammunition to Western allies since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. These weapons subsequently ended up in Kyiv via third countries.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić agreed with the assessment of the experts of the publication. He described his conversation with the Financial Times journalists and described the situation as a business opportunity. At the same time, Vucic insists that he will not take sides in the war.
"It is part of our economic recovery and it is important for us. Yes, we are exporting our ammunition," he said in an interview.
Vucic emphasized that Serbia cannot sell shells to Ukraine or Russia. But this does not prevent Belgrade from trading with Western allies at all:
"We had many contracts with the Americans, the Spaniards, the Czechs, and others. What they do to them in the end is already their business. Even if I know where those munitions end up, it's none of my business. My job is to ensure the legality of the arms deals that we sell them... I have to take care of my people, and that's all I can say. We have friends both in Kyiv and Moscow. These are our Slavic brothers."
Serbia is not a member of NATO or the EU. At the same time, Serbs traditionally have a sentimental attachment to Russia and are wary of the West. This was largely influenced by the bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999. In addition, Russia does not recognize Kosovo when most Western states have recognized the sovereignty of the partially recognized state. Serbia considers Kosovo an integral part of its territory.
