The Serbian government has failed in recent months to find a solution to the U.S. sanctions imposed on the Petroleum Industry of Serbia (NIS), leaving Belgrade under pressure from both the United States and Russia, Austrian daily Der Standard reports. According to the newspaper, it is increasingly evident that Russia has no intention of selling its stake in NIS, as that ownership ensures Moscow’s political leverage over Serbia.
“The Serbian government is entirely responsible for its dependence on Russia,” Der Standard writes, recalling that Serbia sold 51% of NIS to Russia’s Gazprom in 2008 for the extremely low price of €400 million. With that deal, Belgrade also secured Moscow’s pledge to use its veto in the UN Security Council to block international recognition of Kosovo—ensuring Kosovo could not become a UN member state.
The paper adds that Serbia is considered “one of the Kremlin’s closest allies in Europe,” which allows Moscow to exert political influence through energy dependence. As a result, President Aleksandar Vučić now faces pressure from both Moscow and Washington.
According to Der Standard, there is speculation that Gazprom may attempt to set up a company in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, and use it to repurchase its own stake in NIS — a move designed to bypass sanctions.
The newspaper notes that Serbia’s reliance on Russian gas continues to fuel fears that the Kremlin could “tighten the tap” at any moment, given the country’s heavy dependence on Russian energy supplies.
In addition to the NIS issue, Der Standard writes that Serbia’s “autocratic” leadership is also under growing international scrutiny following media reports alleging that Vučić played a role in bringing foreigners to positions held by Bosnian Serb forces around Sarajevo during the war—individuals who allegedly intended to shoot at civilians with sniper rifles.
Vučić has denied the claims, stating that he never fired a weapon and that video footage clearly shows he carried a tripod rather than an automatic rifle on positions around Sarajevo. “Years ago, he even claimed he was holding an umbrella, not an automatic weapon,” the newspaper comments.
