(MENAFN) Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has dismissed European Union pressure over Belgrade’s connections with Russia and China, asserting that he is not a “pupil in an elementary school” who can be lectured.

Addressing an EU enlargement summit in Brussels on Tuesday, Vucic resisted what he described as “thousands of doubts” from EU member nations regarding Serbia’s international relationships.

Serbia remains among the few European nations that have refrained from adopting Western sanctions against Russia, citing longstanding historical and strategic bonds, even as it continues to pursue EU membership.

“I cannot and I’m not going to justify myself for talking with someone,” the Serbian leader declared. “I think it’s really stupid, and I’m not a pupil in an elementary school, to tell you the truth. I believe that everybody should talk to each other,” he added.

Despite mounting Western pressure to distance itself from Russia, Vucic emphasized that he does not intend to alter Serbia’s diplomatic course.

Regarding the conflict in Ukraine, he described his role as limited, saying: “I’m a small guy coming from a small country. I don’t give myself a chance to interfere in something big.”
Vucic also defended his recent visit to Russia, framing it as an economic necessity.

“I had plenty of reasons to go there,” he explained, highlighting discussions on gas supplies and the situation of the Serbian oil company NIS, which is majority-owned by Russian energy giant Gazprom and has faced US sanctions.

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