Serbia's government relies on Russian spies for protests

Serbia's deputy prime minister claimed that Russia's intelligence services have helped the government deal with ongoing protests. These protests have been taking place daily since November last year. They began after a tragic roof collapse at a train station in Novi Sad, resulting in 16 deaths, which many blame on corruption. Deputy Prime Minister Alexandar Vulin expressed his gratitude to Russia's special services for their support in what he referred to as a fight against "colour revolutions." He explained that these revolutions are attempts to change governments, as seen in past events in countries like Ukraine and Georgia. Critics are concerned that Vulin's comments show that the Serbian government is becoming overly reliant on Moscow. Political scientist Aleksandar Djokic noted that only Russia openly supports Serbia's current regime, while other countries remain neutral or criticize it. Serbia is trying to balance its ambitions to join the European Union with its strong ties to Russia, which is a major ally and gas supplier. President Aleksandar Vucic has accused Western nations of collaborating with protest leaders to undermine his government, which has a history of good relations with Russia. However, the leaders of the protests deny any connections to the West. Vulin is known for his pro-Russian stance and has held various significant government positions. He resigned from Serbia's Security and Information Agency in 2023 after being sanctioned by the United States for his pro-Russian activities.