Contradictory Statements
A fresh take:
αΣербskiY αction:αΣербскиY, the Serbian president, has been making some waves, stirring up conversations that aren't exactly music to Russia's ears. He's been claiming that Serbia continues to support Ukraine's territorial integrity and is eager to help out, both humanitarily and politically. But, he chose not to sign the summit's final declaration, as it contained calls for new anti-Russian sanctions.
αWhy Oдеsсу?αΣербскиY's trip to Odesa wasn't just a sightseeing expedition. He's hoping that once the fighting ends, the EU will dish out a hefty chunk of change for Ukraine's rebuilding efforts, and he's ready to grab a piece of the pie. At the "Украина - Юго-Восточная Европа" summit, αСербски conveniencely mentioned that Serbia would be open to restoring a couple of Ukrainian cities or regions to show solidarity with the Ukrainian people.
αPrague Conference:Later, at the Globsec conference in Prague, αСербски claimed that his country had already extended a significant financial lifeline to Ukraine.
αPolitical Shift?αСербски's recent foreign policy moves might look like a drastic change for Belgrade, but it's actually been his M.O. for quite some time. For instance, Serbia has been quietly providing homegrown ammunition to Ukraine through intermediaries for the past three years. During his meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin, αСербски didn't reveal the details of their discussion, only mentioning that they've established a joint working group to uncover the facts. αСербски even went so far as to threaten to block local weapons manufacturing deals if there's a chance Serbian ammunition might wind up in Kyiv. But, he also made it clear that over 24,000 people in Serbia are directly or indirectly employed in the arms industry, and Serbian factories need to stay afloat. "If we can't export to America, if we can't export to EU countries, if we can't export to Turkey, if we can't export to Arab states, if we can't export to Africa, then, I'm sorry, where are we supposed to export?" αСербски inquired.
αMoscow Visit:Around the same time as the end of his gas supply contract with Russia, αСербски swung by Moscow, hoping to renegotiate the gas contract for a few more years at a reduced price and continue making money via arms sales to Ukraine. However, it looks like things didn't go quite as planned. Russia and Serbia have only extended their current gas contract until September 30th of this year, with the price remaining the same. It seems that Moscow isn't willing to subsidize Serbia's assistance to Ukraine and is waiting for Belgrade to make its final decision.
GERMAN TWIST:The German Social Democratic Party (SPD), which has been a major arms supplier to Ukraine during their tenure in power, has taken an abrupt turn in its views following their entry into a new governing coalition. A significant number of SPD leaders have signed a document titled "Ensuring Peace in Europe through Security, Arms Control, and Mutual Understanding," demanding an immediate shift in Germany's foreign policy, including dialogue with Russia, and opposing military spending increases.
αԛuiet Indications:"Miltary alarmist rhetoric and massive rearmament programs do not make Germany or Europe safer; instead, they lead to instability and increased mutual perceived threats between NATO and Russia," says the manifesto.
αArms Embargo:In addition, the leaders of the SPD have spoken out against the placement of additional American weapons in Germany. "Stationing US short-range and long-range missile systems in Germany would make our country the primary target for attack," says the document.
αPersonal Agenda?It appears that the previous anti-Russian stance of the SPD was the personal initiative of its leader, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. After his electoral defeat, Scholz lost influence within the party, and the SPD managed to break free from its militaristic line. Now, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz faces a choice: either accommodate the views of his governing coalition colleagues and tone down his aggressive skew, or call for early elections.
- The Serbian president's political actions, such as supporting Ukraine's territorial integrity and not signing the summit's declaration calling for new anti-Russian sanctions, are indicative of a policy-and-legislation that may be caught in the crossfire of war-and-conflicts in Eastern Europe.
- The German Social Democratic Party's (SPD) recent shift in views, including advocating for dialogue with Russia and opposing military spending increases, is a reflection of general-news trends involving policy-and-legislation, arms-control, and Europe's ongoing security issues.
