Djuric: Serbia ready to host peace talks between Ukraine and Russia

Serbia’s Foreign Minister Marko Djuric told Fox News Digital that Belgrade is prepared to host peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.

“Serbia is also among the countries offering its good offices, given our background and the fact that we are friends with all parties involved, to try—and, if necessary or if there is interest—to host any talks on how to end this terrible tragedy, which has resulted in so many deaths and so much destruction,” Djuric said.

According to him, the war in Ukraine needs to end immediately.

“Serbia, in principle, supports the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all states within their UN-recognized borders, including Ukraine,” the Serbian foreign minister told Fox News Digital.

The Serbian foreign minister’s offer to host peace talks between Ukraine and Russia comes after a proposed summit between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which was to be held in Hungary, was postponed.

Some analysts say that Serbia would be a surprising choice to host the next round of ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine, given the historical ties that Russia and Serbia share, rooted in cultural and religious connections through the Serbian Orthodox Church.

While Serbia joined the UN resolutions condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the referendums on the annexation of parts of Ukrainian territory, Belgrade has refused to join Western sanctions imposed on Russia over the invasion.

Nevertheless, Djuric points out that both Ukraine and Russia support Serbia’s territorial integrity regarding Kosovo.

Djuric was in New York attending a United Nations Security Council meeting on Kosovo. Some European officials have questioned Serbia’s commitment to European unity. The Serbian foreign minister responded that Serbia values its place in Europe between East and West, while also emphasizing the country’s close relations with the United States.

“Serbia is very proud of its independent foreign and security policy, which is deeply rooted in the history of our nation and has allowed us to remain independent for centuries, despite our small size. We highly value our growing strategic partnership with the United States, which enjoys bipartisan support in this country,” said the Serbian foreign minister.

He added that it should also be kept in mind that President Trump is by far the most popular foreign leader in Serbia, and is the most popular leader among Serbs compared to any other European country.

“More than 71 percent of Serbs have a very favorable opinion of the American president and his policies, which really provides very fertile ground for further growth of our relations,” Djuric said.