European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos has warned that Serbia will struggle to make progress toward European Union membership unless it aligns its foreign and security policy with the bloc, including on sanctions against Russia.
Kos made the remarks in response to a question about whether Serbia could join the EU without imposing sanctions on Moscow amid Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.
“It will not be possible for a country that does not align with us on issues of strategic interest, such as foreign and security policy, namely the common fight against Russia, particularly in the context of Russia’s war in Ukraine, to make progress. This will be very, very difficult,” Kos said.
Her comments underscore the EU’s continued expectation that candidate countries align their foreign policy with the bloc’s positions, particularly on major geopolitical and security issues.
Serbia has maintained close ties with Russia and has refused to join Western sanctions imposed following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, despite its stated goal of joining the European Union.
Kos nevertheless noted that Brussels has not yet begun discussions with Serbia’s new government on how to proceed.
“Therefore, they first need to form the new government, and then we will see how and whether we can move forward in this area,” she said.
The formation of Serbia’s new government will therefore be an important factor in determining the next steps in its EU accession process, with its position on Russia remaining a major point of contention between Belgrade and Brussels.
