Aleksandar Vulin, the Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia in resignation, met on March 22 with Sergei Shoigu, the Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, in Moscow. Vulin thanked Shoigu for Russia’s support in “restoring order and stability” in Serbia, as stated in an official release.
Vulin, known for his close ties with Moscow, is under U.S. sanctions and has been a frequent visitor to Russia since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, often meeting with Russian officials. In his meeting with Shoigu, Vulin reiterated a request made by Serbian Prime Minister Miloš Vučević for Russian specialists to participate in an investigation into the alleged use of an acoustic weapon during protests on March 15 in Belgrade.
On March 19, Vučević announced that he had requested the FBI and Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) to conduct independent investigations into the use of an acoustic weapon at the protest. Serbian authorities have denied accusations from students and parts of the public claiming the use of the device.
Additionally, Vulin informed Shoigu that Serbia had “corrected the mistake” made during the UN General Assembly vote, changing its vote to abstain on a resolution supporting Ukraine’s territorial integrity. The resolution, supported by 93 countries, reaffirms the commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, with 18 votes against and 65 abstentions. Serbia, along with Belarus, is one of the few European countries not to have joined EU sanctions against Russia over the invasion of Ukraine.
