Serbia continues to resist imposing sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine, drawing repeated criticism and warnings from the European Union. The latest came from European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, who delivered a clear message on March 10 in the European Parliament.
Kos emphasized that countries aspiring to join the EU must be strong democracies capable of resisting external influence, including Russian interference. While she did not mention any country by name, her statements were widely interpreted as a warning for states perceived as vulnerable to foreign influence, particularly Serbia and Georgia, according to an EU official speaking to Radio Free Europe.
Serbia remains the only Western Balkan candidate that has not aligned its foreign policy with the EU since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and has not implemented sanctions against Moscow. As a result, its accession negotiations have slowed significantly, with no new chapters opened since December 2021.
EU Enlargement spokesperson Guillaume Mercier underlined that the EU has made it clear to its partners, including Serbia, that relations with Russia cannot continue as before while Moscow continues its military aggression against Ukraine.
