The Kremlin offered public praise on Monday for its longstanding Serbian partner Aleksandar Vucic after a student-backed protest movement decisively defeated his ruling party in a parliamentary election. The outcome deprives Moscow of another key European ally, arriving just six months after the electoral defeat of Hungarian leader Viktor Orban.
Vucic, who has held power as either prime minister or president since 2014 and maintained frequent diplomatic ties with Moscow, conceded defeat on Sunday, October 25, 2026. The result triggered widespread nationwide celebrations across Serbia on Monday, though questions remained regarding how the incoming student-led coalition intends to govern the Balkan nation.
Addressing reporters on Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged the election outcome while lauding Vucic’s historical role. Moscow expressed optimism that Vucic would remain active in political life and continue fostering bilateral ties from the opposition.
“We greatly appreciate the contribution that Mr Vucic has made to the development of our bilateral relations. We are aware that Mr Vucic will remain active in politics, and we hope that, even while in opposition, he will continue to contribute to the development of our bilateral relations,” Peskov stated.
Although Serbia maintains official aspirations for European Union membership, Belgrade declined to adopt EU-backed sanctions against Russia following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. Instead, the country sustained close political, economic, and military channels with Moscow, alongside its traditional status as a consumer of Russian energy supplies.
Looking toward the incoming administration, Peskov emphasized that Moscow expects the new leaders to recognize the mutual benefits of continued cooperation between the two nations.
“As for the new political force that will come to power as a result of the elections, we wish to express our hope that its actions will also be constructively directed towards the further development of relations, and that these new political forces will understand that cooperation with Russia is in Serbia’s interests, because it benefits Serbia,” Peskov said.
Peskov added that Russia remains committed to strengthening ties with Belgrade, noting that maintaining the relationship requires reciprocal engagement from the incoming leadership.
“For our part, we intend to continue to do everything we can to foster the development of our relations with Belgrade. But, as you know, it takes two to tango,” Peskov concluded.
