Kremlin Signals Desire to Maintain Ties With Serbia After Vučić Ousted by Student Movement

Oct. 26, 2026 A person steps on an image of former President Aleksandar Vučić in Belgrade, Serbia. REUTERS / Marko Djurica The Kremlin said Monday that it wants to maintain and develop ties with Serbia despite the defeat of former President Aleksandar Vučić’s ruling coalition in this weekend’s parliamentary elections, while noting that building those relations will require effort from both sides. “We deeply value the contribution that Mr. Vučić has made to the development of our bilateral relations,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters at a daily briefing. “We know that he will remain on the political stage, and we hope that even in opposition, he will continue to contribute to advancing our ties,” Peskov added. Vučić, who dominated Serbian politics for more than a decade as prime minister and then later as president, conceded defeat on Sunday night following a historic snap election. The vote pitted his ruling coalition against a student-led movement that had spent months protesting against his government. “Based on a stratified sample, it is clear that we lost these elections,” Vučić told supporters at his party headquarters in Belgrade. The defeat followed Vučić’s resignation as president in September, a risky political maneuver intended to allow him to reclaim the prime minister post. It also came after nearly two years of anti-government demonstrations triggered by the November 2024 roof collapse at the Novi Sad railway station, an accident that killed 16 people and sparked widespread outrage over state corruption. During his tenure, Vučić balanced Serbia’s candidacy for EU membership with a refusal to join Western sanctions against Russia over its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. He had remained one of the few European leaders to maintain direct contact with the Kremlin and make official visits to Moscow. Peskov said Monday that Moscow hopes the incoming government in Belgrade will work “constructively” to preserve bilateral relations since, in its view, doing so would bring “tangible benefits to Serbia itself.” “For our part, we intend to continue doing everything possible to foster our relations with Belgrade. But as you know, it takes two to tango,” he said. Reuters and AFP contributed reporting. Read more about: Serbia , Elections Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Feature 'Crowds Can't Be Rigged': Thousands of Russians in Serbia Protest Putin's Re-Election Despite Serbia's deepening ties with Moscow, observers said Belgrade had one of the largest turnouts worldwide during Sunday's Noon Against Putin event... 5 Min read Russian Anti-War Presidential Hopeful Says Will Not Submit Endorsements From Abroad “We welcome signatures from abroad but we won’t take them to CEC because we have collected enough inside the country,” Boris Nadezhdin said. 2 Min read Feature Russian Diaspora in Serbia Shaken By Election Protests, Fears of Moscow's Influence “We can feel Serbia is turning into Russia,” said one Russian who moved to Belgrade to escape his country's military mobilization. 5 Min read Ahead of Serbian Elections, EU-Banned Russian Diplomat’s Monitoring Role Draws Concern “We don't want potential Russian intelligence agents running around,” a Serbian opposition party MP said. 5 Min read