Stevan Ristić, director of the weekly Vreme, says the foreign policy balancing act of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has “collapsed”, and that it would be surprising if the government does not announce a decision today on taking over Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS).
Speaking on N1 television, Ristić challenged Minister Dubravka Đedović Handanović’s assertion that the NIS decision is “the toughest decision in Serbia’s history.”
“These are mega-narratives this government feeds the public,” he said. “Vučić keeps his voters under a type of hypnosis, pushing the idea that the Russian governance model is normal and desirable, because that’s what he implements here.”
According to Ristić, 80-90% of Vučić’s voters have pro-Russia leanings, a fact the president has skillfully used to bargain with the West.
Ristić believes the matter is moving toward only one outcome — the takeover of NIS.
“I’ll be surprised if the decision isn’t made today,” he added.
He also noted that Vučić’s long-term foreign policy hesitation has failed, especially given Serbia’s refusal to impose sanctions on Russia despite pressures over the war in Ukraine.
Ristić argued that Vučić likely counted on a Russian victory in Ukraine, or alternatively, that Donald Trump’s return to the White House would favor Serbia. However, “Trump has shown far less interest in Serbia than Vučić expected,” he said.
On the matter of alleged deals involving land to influence foreign policy, Ristić was blunt:
“I cannot believe that in 2025 someone thinks giving away a plot of land can fix Serbia’s foreign policy problems. The more it’s repeated, the more suspect it becomes — it looks like corruption and money laundering.”
