Vulin: Vucic is a statesman, only free leader in Europe

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is pursuing an independent policy and is the only free leader in Europe - thanks to that policy, Serbia is the only country that has not imposed sanctions on Russia and will not impose them, says Serbian Deputy PM Aleksandar Vulin.

In an interview for Vecernje novosti, Vulin said he did not know of many leaders who, like Vucic, could say they had maintained a friendship with Russian President Vladimir Putin and had also supported Donald Trump even before the US presidential elections.

"You see, that is a statesman. Can you imagine anyone in the pro-NATO opposition knowing how to do that or daring to do that?" Vulin said.

Asked if Serbia was witnessing the emergence of a new "Maidan" on its own soil, Vulin responded that he had had the honour of speaking with Chinese FM Wang Yi and that he had been warned at the time that preparations were underway for a colour revolution in Serbia.

"Unrest led by students in Hong Kong or Belarus is a political twin of the protests in Serbia. Students are being used because you cannot be against the beauty of youth, against your own children," Vulin said.