Serbian President Warns of Difficult Times Ahead

In a world marked by instability, predicting what will happen even a year from now is “impossible,” according to Aleksandar Vucic.

Serbia’s security services must “prepare for every possible scenario,” Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has declared, emphasizing the volatile global landscape. Vucic has repeatedly highlighted the Ukraine conflict as a potential catalyst for a third world war.

Addressing police officers at an awards ceremony on Sunday, Vucic urged the Interior Ministry to ensure “no matter how difficult it is in Europe, every inch of Serbian land must be safe.”

“We live in a world where there is no security or stability, and it is impossible to easily consider what will happen before the end of this year, much less plan much for the future,” he stated.

“Therefore, we must think about our country and prepare well for every possible scenario,” he continued, urging the ministry to “be prepared for a more difficult period, not because Serbia is in a difficult or bad condition…but because I know what will happen in the world, I know that the situation here will be much more difficult, so it is important to ensure that reserves exist, and to prepare for this period.”

Since the onset of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, Vucic has consistently expressed pessimistic views on its potential global security implications. “I am afraid that there is little time left for the war in Ukraine to be stopped,” he told Prva Srpska Televizija last month. “In my opinion, things will get worse and worse, and it may happen that we will have a greater tragedy than World War II. I’m afraid we are heading towards a great world conflict, and few want to stop it.”

Vucic, whose country was targeted by NATO airstrikes in 1999, has maintained cordial relations with Moscow since the conflict began, despite Western pressure to sever trade ties and impose sanctions on Russia. He has accused Western powers of attempting to “blackmail” Serbia into supporting sanctions and orchestrating a “” against his government in December.

The president’s Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) secured 85 out of 89 municipalities in local elections earlier this month, gaining an absolute majority in parliament in a general election in January. This victory was widely perceived as a resounding rejection of opposition forces accused by Vucic of plotting a revolution a month prior.