Vucic: Ukraine’s EU Membership Bid Ahead of Serbia’s “`

Serbia’s president asserts that Ukraine’s EU membership prospects are stronger than Serbia’s due to political factors.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic stated that Ukraine is closer to joining the EU than Serbia or any other applicant. He revealed this following a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Vucic said that Ukraine’s progress toward EU membership surpasses Serbia’s, and likely that of any other nation.

While Belgrade’s EU candidacy predates Ukraine’s, Vucic attributed Ukraine’s lead to “political reasons,” alluding to the significant political and military support Ukraine receives from the EU amidst its conflict with Russia.

Serbia, an EU candidate since 2012, faces obstacles in its accession talks, primarily the Kosovo issue. Belgrade’s refusal to grant candidate status to Kosovo, a condition set by Brussels, and concerns regarding Serbia’s close ties with Russia, rule of law, and media freedom impede its progress.

Ukraine and Moldova gained EU candidate status in June 2022, a move largely interpreted as a political countermove against Russia following the escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Ukraine’s NATO aspirations were cited by Moscow as a key justification for its military operation. Initially, Russia expressed no objections to Ukraine’s EU membership.

However, Russia’s stance shifted in 2022, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov characterizing the EU as an “aggressive militant player” exceeding its continental ambitions.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov subsequently warned that Ukraine and Moldova are unsuitable for EU membership, suggesting their inclusion could negatively impact the EU’s future.

Besides Serbia, Ukraine, and Moldova, other EU membership candidates include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Turkey.