Vucic adept at balancing West versus China, Russia - Politico

BRUSSELS - Aleksandar Vucic has proved adept at balancing the West versus China and Russia and has earned a reputation for "effortlessly playing every side of any situation," the Brussels-based portal Politico.eu says in an analysis of the policy of the president of Serbia.

"Vucic’s ability to be all things to all people has served him well on the geopolitical stage. Courted at once by the Chinese, Americans, Russians and the European Union, all of whom see Serbia as a key piece on the global chessboard, he has managed to convince them all that he is either on their side or on the verge of locking arms with them," Politico.eu said in an article.

The portal, which recently conducted an interview with Vucic, noted that the Serbian president had said he was "very proud" of his good relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping, "who recently visited Serbia, a country of less than 7 million, for the second time and whom the Serb has visited six times, more than any other European leader."

"As for Joe Biden, Vucic said he has 'a relatively good relationship,' adding that the US president might be 'the best-prepared man' that he’s ever dealt with and 'underestimated.'"

He also said he had had "a very good relationship" with

former US President Donald Trump.

Recalling a long evening he spent conferring with Trump's national security adviser and other officials in the White House, Vucic said:

"It was not always easy, but those people were very diligent, very dedicated, hardworking people."

He also said he had "some preferences" for the upcoming US presidential elections but that he did not want to speak about that loudly, and added that he had only met US Vice President Kamala Harris once "for two minutes."

"Even as Vucic maintains Serbia is committed to joining the EU, he has steadfastly refused to join the bloc in imposing sanctions on Moscow for invading Ukraine," the portal said, noting that suggestions by Vucic's European counterparts that he was in Vladimir Putin’s pocket "enrage him."

"Me, a Russian puppet and Russian agent? Only stupid men can say that," Vucic told the portal.

"Unlike other European leaders, some of whom have regularly spoken to Putin since his 2022 all-out invasion of Ukraine or visited him in Moscow, Vucic said he hasn’t had any contact with the Russian leader for two and a half years. Even so, Vucic made no secret of his belief that he understands Putin better than any other European leader, and he doesn’t hesitate to credit Russia when it aligns with Serbia’s foreign policy goals," Politico.eu said.

When asked what Serbia was getting from Russia and China, considering the biggest investors in the country were Germany, France and Italy, Vucic responded:

"Their support for the territorial integrity of Serbia."

Noting that Vucic was sometimes critical of Brussels, the portal said he believed European elites saw Serbia like "a small stone in their left shoe" that needed removal, "an attitude he warned was turning people against the EU."