In this episode of The IR thinker, the conversation turns to the complex relationship between Serbia and Russia, with a particular focus on energy, foreign policy and the limits of Russian influence in the Western Balkans. From gas and oil routes to soft power and security ties, the discussion unpacks how Belgrade navigates its position between Moscow and the West.

Vuk Vuksanovic

Dr Vuk Vuksanovic is a senior researcher at the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy and an associate at LSE IDEAS, the foreign policy think tank of the London School of Economics and Political Science, specialising in Serbian foreign policy, Russian influence and the geopolitics of the Western Balkans.

Content

00:00 - Introduction
00:57 - Gazprom’s role in the Serbian energy security
10:52 - Gazprom’s investment in Serbia
12:14 - Diversification of Serbian gas supplies (Azerbaijan)
23:21 - Russian reaction to Azeri gas
25:02 - Serbian oil supplies, JANAF, DRUZHBA and Hungary
31:39 - EU, Druzhba and Russian oil exceptions
34:04 - Serbian, Hungarian and Russian energy union
35:08 - Why Serbia has no nuclear power plant?
38:43 - Does Russia control Serbia?
44:30 - limits of Russian influence in Serbia
48:52 - Russian “mutual consultations” on the Serbian foreign policy
51:44 - Russian soft power and the Wagner Group in Serbia
01:01:00 - Serbia’s role between Russia and the West