Politico: Vucic has a clear strategy in his geopolitical chess game

The portal Politico published an article about Aleksandar Vucic, one week after an interview with the Serbian president. The headline describes Vucic's diplomatic skills with the metaphor "a la carte," meaning that the Serbian president manages to "order" and get whatever he wants for Serbia, as if in a restaurant.

The Brussels-based portal Politico published an article titled "Aleksandar Vucic's A la Carte Diplomacy," analyzing the Serbian president's policies. It suggests that Vucic has shown skill in balancing between the West on one side and Russia and China on the other, earning a reputation for effortlessly navigating "all sides in all situations," RTS reports.

Serbia a key piece on the global chessboard

"Vucic’s ability to maintain good relations with everyone has served him well on the geopolitical stage. Surrounded by overtures from China, the US, Russia, and the European Union, all of whom see Serbia as a key piece on the global chessboard, he has managed to convince them that he is either on their side or about to join them," notes the Brussels-based portal.

According to Politico, which recently conducted an interview with Vucic, the Serbian president said he is "very proud" of his good relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The portal reminds readers that Xi recently visited Serbia for the second time, while Vucic has visited China six times, more than any other European leader.

Additionally, Vucic mentioned that he has "relatively good relations" with US President Joe Biden, adding that Biden may be one of the "most prepared individuals" he has ever met. Vucic also highlighted his good relations with former US President Donald Trump and recalled moments spent in discussions with Trump’s national security advisor and other White House officials.

"It wasn’t always easy, but those people were very diligent, very dedicated, hardworking individuals," Vucic said. When asked whom he would like to see in the White House, Vucic mentioned that he has some preferences but does not speak about them publicly. He also noted that he only met Vice President Kamala Harris once "for about two minutes."

Support from the world's most powerful figures

Politico also points out that it is noteworthy how the Serbian leader has managed to gain the support of some of the world's most powerful figures, including former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, not by agreeing with everything they said, but through a firmness that the portal suggests has made Vucic even more appealing.

They remind that Serbia refused to impose sanctions on Russia but still emphasizes its European path. Unlike other European leaders, some of whom regularly conversed with Putin after his invasion of Ukraine in 2022 or visited him in Moscow, Vucic said he has had no contact with the Russian leader for two and a half years. Nonetheless, Vucic doesn’t hide his belief that he understands Putin better than any other European leader and doesn’t hesitate to express gratitude to Russia when it aligns with Serbia’s foreign policy goals.

Politico mentions that Vucic is irritated by suggestions from his European colleagues that he is "in Putin's pocket."

"Me, a Russian puppet and Russian agent? Only stupid people can say that," he added. When it comes to Ukraine’s chances of defeating Russia, Vucic is skeptical.

"The Russians have the initiative on the battlefield. The West initially thought it would be easy to invest in Ukraine’s defense and finance it due to Russia’s relatively weak economy. Now it is becoming much harder," Vucic observed.

Support for Serbia’s territorial integrity

When asked what Serbia gains from Russia and China, given that the largest investors in Serbia are European countries — Germany, France, and Italy — Vucic emphasized that it is their support for Serbia’s territorial integrity.

The Serbian president is sometimes critical of Brussels, Politico notes.

"European elites perceive Serbia as a small stone in the left shoe that needs to be removed, which is a stance that turns people against the EU," Vucic said.

The portal assesses that the standoff between the West and Russia over Ukraine, as well as concerns that China is establishing a European platform in Serbia — where it has invested in highways, railways, and other infrastructure — has given Vucic more leverage in relations with the EU and Washington than ever before.

"And then there’s lithium. Serbia’s deposits of the mineral, a key component in electric vehicle battery production, have drawn great interest from mining companies and automakers alike," Politico notes.

It is mentioned that Vucic’s plan to allow the Australian-British mining company Rio Tinto to begin lithium extraction sparked protests in Belgrade over the summer, but that he stated he had no intention of backing down.

"Whenever you start something new in the Balkans, everyone is initially against it," Vucic said.