The United States has imposed sanctions on Aleksandar Vulin, the head of Serbia’s intelligence service, accusing him of corruption and involvement with an arms dealer. In response, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has claimed that Washington is targeting Vulin because of his pro-Russian stance.
The US Treasury Department announced the sanctions on Tuesday, stating that Vulin has been abusing his position “for personal gain while undermining effective and democratic governance in the Western Balkans.” According to US authorities, Vulin is implicated in the drug trade and has provided support to arms dealer Slobodan Tesic, as well as using his public positions to support Russia’s activities.
As a result of the sanctions, any property or assets in the US belonging to Vulin will now be seized by the government. In addition, individuals and businesses are prohibited from engaging in any transactions with him or providing him with goods or services.
However, Serbian President Vucic has strongly denied any wrongdoing on Vulin’s part and argued that the sanctions were imposed solely because of his position towards Russia. Speaking about the decision, Vucic stated, “The sanctions were imposed because of his position toward the Russian Federation.”
This is not the first time that Vulin has expressed his support for Russia. Last July, while serving as Serbia’s interior minister, he claimed that the West was pressuring Belgrade to abandon its independent foreign policy. He warned that if Serbia agreed to impose sanctions on Russia, the West would then demand that Belgrade provide weapons to Ukraine and eventually request troops for conflicts with Russia.
It is worth noting that Serbia has chosen not to impose punitive measures on Russia over the conflict with Ukraine, distinguishing itself from most European countries. Instead, Belgrade has maintained a stance of neutrality and has refrained from supplying arms to Kiev.
The US sanctions on Aleksandar Vulin highlight the complicated geopolitical dynamics in the Western Balkans and the region’s struggle to navigate between different global powers. Serbia’s close ties with Russia have often put it at odds with Western countries, particularly the United States. This latest move by Washington is likely to further strain the already delicate relationship between Serbia and the US, as well as deepen divisions within the Western Balkans.
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