Serbian president: Russia holds initiative in Ukraine war

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic stated on Monday that Russia currently holds the upper hand in the ongoing war in Ukraine, highlighting how Western support for Ukraine's defense has become increasingly challenging.

"The initiative on the battlefield is in the hands of the Russians. Initially, the West thought that investing in and financing Ukraine's defense would be an easy task due to Russia's relatively weak economy. Now this is becoming much more difficult," Vucic said in an interview with Politico.

Vucic also revealed that, despite knowing Russian President Vladimir Putin "quite well," he has had no contact with him for 2.5 years. The Serbian leader dismissed claims that he is a "Russian puppet" or "Russian agent" as "idiotic."

Serbia, a close ally of Russia in Europe and the Western Balkans, has faced criticism for balancing relations between both Western and Eastern countries. While Serbia is a candidate for European Union membership, it remains outside of NATO.