Vucic to Breitbart: Trump is the most popular American leader in Serbia because he is pragmatic and rational

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said in an interview with the American news portal Breitbart that Donald Trump is by far the most popular American politician in Serbia, claiming that more than 75 percent of Serbian citizens support him. Vučić said that Serbs view Trump as a pragmatic and rational leader committed to peace, traditional values, and stronger economic ties with Serbia.

The Serbian president stated that Trump is the most popular American political leader in Serbia in recent decades and that his support among Serbian citizens is greater than in any other European country.
In the interview with Breitbart, Vucic said that during the U.S. presidential campaign, more than 75 percent of Serbian citizens supported Trump.

“I was surprised by certain reports in the American media portraying other European countries as strongholds of Donald Trump’s support. To us, it was obvious that Serbia was where he had by far the strongest backing. At the time, his support exceeded 75 percent among decided voters, which was not even the case in the United States itself. He had no such level of support anywhere else,” Vucic said.

Speaking about the reasons for Trump’s popularity in Serbia, Vucic said that citizens wanted a different approach from Washington toward Serbia than the one that had prevailed over the previous decades.

“People in Serbia have always loved America and the American dream. However, they wanted a new type of relationship between our two countries because, over the past 30 years, the United States was often perceived as putting pressure on Serbia on various issues. During the administration of Bill Clinton, this was particularly pronounced, from political pressure to the bombing of Serbia. For that reason, citizens expected major changes in relations between the two countries,” Vucic said.

He added that another important reason for Trump’s popularity was his willingness to openly discuss issues that other politicians often avoided.

“Serbian citizens saw that President Trump was courageous enough to raise topics others remained silent about and to address them publicly and openly. This concerned family values as well as numerous social issues on which he advocated a different approach from most politicians in Brussels and Washington. People wanted clear and simple messages, and that is precisely what they recognized in Trump,” the Serbian president said.

Vucic noted that Serbian citizens particularly appreciated Trump’s emphasis on preserving Christian values.

“People greatly valued his attitude toward Christianity and the values of the Christian world. That is something very important here and it further contributed to his popularity,” he said.

As another significant factor, Vucic highlighted Trump’s approach to international conflicts.

“People in Serbia saw that President Trump wants to create peace between Ukraine and Russia and also seeks peace in different parts of the world. That is something people here greatly respect and appreciate,” Vucic said.

According to him, Trump’s pragmatic approach to economic issues also played a significant role.

“People saw him as a very pragmatic and rational person. Someone who insists on economic development, increased trade, and stronger business cooperation. Serbian citizens recognized in this an opportunity to build better economic relations with the United States and viewed it as very positive news,” Vucic said.

He assessed that Trump remains more popular in Serbia today than any potential political opponent.

“Even today, more than a year later, Donald Trump is far more popular than any possible opponent from the rival political camp because people here believe he is the best choice for them,” Vucic stated.

Discussing relations between the United States and Europe, the Serbian president said that European leaders often fail to understand the messages coming from the Trump administration.

Commenting on a speech delivered by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Munich Security Conference, Vucic said that many European politicians had misinterpreted his remarks.

“Do you know what I told my associates after Rubio’s speech? I said I did not understand why so many people were so pleased with what they heard because they failed to understand the key messages. I listened carefully, and I can say that his messages were ultimately even sharper than those delivered by J. D. Vance a year earlier,” Vucic said.

According to him, European politicians heard only what they wanted to hear.

“Rubio spoke about a long-standing alliance and many other things, but the essence of his message was much more serious. The problem is that many listened to what they wanted to hear rather than what was actually said,” Vucic stated.

He added that some European leaders still believe that political relations will eventually return to the way they were during the administrations of Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

“Some still think there is a point of return and that everything will go back to the way it was once Trump loses an election or someone else wins in the future. I do not think that will happen. Interests are different today, and the world has changed,” Vucic said.

He argued that European politicians must adapt to new realities.

“I hope certain leaders will set aside their nostalgia and begin looking at things rationally and pragmatically because the situation today is different from what it was ten or fifteen years ago,” the Serbian president said.

Speaking about Serbian-American relations, Vučić recalled that the last U.S. president to officially visit Belgrade was Richard Nixon.

He emphasized that he would like Donald Trump to visit Serbia and that he is prepared to extend an official invitation.

“I invite President Trump to come to Serbia. He has visited Poland, Hungary, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and many other countries, and I would like him to visit Belgrade as well,” Vucic said.

He claims that Trump would receive a welcome in Serbia unlike any he has seen elsewhere in Europe.

“I guarantee President Trump that he would see the largest crowd he has ever seen in Europe. At least 100,000 people would come to greet him, see him, and hear messages about a better future for relations between Serbia and the United States,” Vucic said.

The Serbian president believes such a visit would represent a turning point in relations between the two countries.

“For years, we had not have the best relations with the United States. Before that, however, we were allies in both World Wars. During World War II, Serbs rescued American pilots. In World War I, we lost one-third of our population. Serbs were the only nation in former Yugoslavia that opposed Nazism from the very beginning, and Belgrade was the only capital in the territory of former Yugoslavia that was bombed and devastated by the Germans,” Vucic said.

He added that a Trump visit would symbolize the renewal of the traditional friendship between the two countries.

“It would be a wonderful visit and a true revival of the strong and traditional friendship between the United States and Serbia. I am convinced that such a visit, accompanied by concrete economic cooperation, investments, and other forms of partnership, would benefit both a great America and a small Serbia,” Vucic concluded.

The interview with Breitbart was also shared with his followers on the social media platform Truth Social by President Donald Trump himself.