Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announced that he will soon engage in talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the sanctions imposed by the United States on the Serbian oil company NIS, which is majority-owned by Russia.
Vučić revealed that NIS had requested a 90-day delay in the sanctions to address ownership issues within the company. However, while the US Embassy in Serbia has responded, the final decision from the US Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is still pending. Vučić clarified that the US Embassy’s response was clear, stating that the requested postponement would not be granted.
OFAC imposed sanctions on NIS on January 10 as part of a broader sanctions package aimed at Russia’s oil sector. GazpromNeft, the Russian state-owned company, and its parent company Gazprom have held a 56.15% majority stake in NIS since 2008, while the Serbian government owns 29.87% and the remaining shares are held by small shareholders.
When asked about Serbia’s potential proposal to Russia regarding NIS’s ownership, President Vučić stated that he could not comment until the specific US demands are clear. He stressed that Serbia must protect its interests without jeopardizing its strong relations with Russia and expressed hope that a solution could be reached.
Vučić also highlighted that one of the reasons for the intense pressure on Serbia is its stance as the only European country that has not imposed sanctions on Russia.
