Serbian President Says Kiev Nearer to EU Membership than Belgrade
According to President Aleksandar Vucic, Kiev has a stronger likelihood of joining the EU compared to Belgrade, attributing this to "political reasons." Read the full article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Ukraine is viewed as having a stronger likelihood of joining the EU compared to Serbia and other candidate countries, according to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.
In an interview with Pink TV on Wednesday, Vucic stated that he discussed the status of candidacy during his meeting with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland earlier that day.
“When it comes to joining the EU, Ukraine is closer than us... probably closer than anyone else, to it,” he remarked.
While he acknowledged that Belgrade “has been on this path for much longer,” he noted that Kiev benefits from “political reasons,” likely referencing the military and political support extended by Brussels to Ukraine amid its ongoing conflict with Russia.
Serbia has held candidate status for EU membership since 2012. However, progress in the accession talks has been hindered by the Kosovo issue, as Belgrade is reluctant to comply with Brussels’ requests to also grant candidate status to the breakaway region, viewing it as a form of recognizing its independence. Concerns from EU officials also center on Serbia's close ties to Russia, as well as issues related to the rule of law and media freedom within the country.
Ukraine and Moldova, another former Soviet Republic, were granted EU candidate status in June 2022, several months after the intensification of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. This move by Brussels was perceived as a political rebuke to Moscow.
Moscow has identified Ukraine’s aspirations to join NATO as a primary motive behind its military operations that began nearly three years ago. Initially, Russia had indicated no objections to Ukraine's EU membership; however, the stance shifted in 2022 when Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov asserted, “the EU has turned from a constructive economic platform... into an aggressive militant player that declares its ambitions far beyond the European continent.”
In 2022, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov cautioned that Ukraine and Moldova were unfit for EU membership and warned that their inclusion could “have a very negative impact on the prospects for the existence of this union.”
In addition to Serbia, Ukraine, and Moldova, other candidates for EU membership include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Turkey.
Ramin Sohrabi contributed to this report for TROIB News
In an interview with Pink TV on Wednesday, Vucic stated that he discussed the status of candidacy during his meeting with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland earlier that day.
“When it comes to joining the EU, Ukraine is closer than us... probably closer than anyone else, to it,” he remarked.
While he acknowledged that Belgrade “has been on this path for much longer,” he noted that Kiev benefits from “political reasons,” likely referencing the military and political support extended by Brussels to Ukraine amid its ongoing conflict with Russia.
Serbia has held candidate status for EU membership since 2012. However, progress in the accession talks has been hindered by the Kosovo issue, as Belgrade is reluctant to comply with Brussels’ requests to also grant candidate status to the breakaway region, viewing it as a form of recognizing its independence. Concerns from EU officials also center on Serbia's close ties to Russia, as well as issues related to the rule of law and media freedom within the country.
Ukraine and Moldova, another former Soviet Republic, were granted EU candidate status in June 2022, several months after the intensification of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. This move by Brussels was perceived as a political rebuke to Moscow.
Moscow has identified Ukraine’s aspirations to join NATO as a primary motive behind its military operations that began nearly three years ago. Initially, Russia had indicated no objections to Ukraine's EU membership; however, the stance shifted in 2022 when Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov asserted, “the EU has turned from a constructive economic platform... into an aggressive militant player that declares its ambitions far beyond the European continent.”
In 2022, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov cautioned that Ukraine and Moldova were unfit for EU membership and warned that their inclusion could “have a very negative impact on the prospects for the existence of this union.”
In addition to Serbia, Ukraine, and Moldova, other candidates for EU membership include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Turkey.
Ramin Sohrabi contributed to this report for TROIB News
