President Vucic claims he conditioned his visit to a Croatia-hosted event to toning down the final pro-Kiev statement

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic claims that he has managed to tone down a pro-Ukrainian declaration, which he signed this week on behalf of his country during a Ukraine-South East Europe summit in Croatia this week.

Vucic was among the 15 participants of the third such gathering, which was held in the Croatian coastal city of Dubrovnik on Wednesday. The final statement explicitly condemns Russia for what it calls an “unprovoked, unjustifiable and illegal Russian war of aggression against Ukraine”.

Belgrade, a traditional Russian ally, seeks membership in the EU and is under pressure by Brussels to “realign” its foreign policy with that of the economic bloc. The Serbian government has declined to support Western sanctions against Russia, which EU officials call a major obstacle to accession.

When asked about his signature under the anti-Russian document during a press conference in Dubrovnik, the Serbian president denied that he was trying to “sit on two chairs.” Participating in the event offered an opportunity to make the Serbian voice heard internationally and to moderate the final statement, Vucic argued.

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Vucic claimed the draft declaration was changed, after he said he would not come to Croatia otherwise. Four points related to sanctions and coordination of national Ukraine policies with Brussels have been altered, he stated.

For example, the Dubrovnik statement describes Vladimir Zelensky’s so-called peace formula “one of the proposed plans” for ending the conflict, as opposed to “the only plan” as the original text had it. Vucic also reportedly amended the “obligation to give military aid to Ukraine” by the signatories, and the requirement to impose sanctions on Russia.

Moscow did not publicly comment on the gathering in Croatia. At the meeting, Zelensky was promoting his ‘victory plan’ against Russia and claimed that “the situation on the battlefield creates an opportunity to make this choice – a choice in favor of decisive action to end the war no later than 2025.”

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The Ukrainian proposal, which Zelensky presented to US President Joe Biden last month, reportedly requires NATO-like security guarantees, Western permission to strike targets deep inside Russia with donated weapons and other measures.

Ukrainian forces have suffered a series of setbacks on the frontline in recent months, including last week, when they lost the long-time fortress of Ugledar. There is reportedly a major Russian push underway against Kiev’s troops in Russia’s Kursk Region, which they invaded in August.