Le Figaro writes about Russian influence in Serbia

"That influence is so great that it started to bother the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, who was caught in his own trap", the article said, adding that "Serbia certainly supported the resolution of the UN General Assembly on March 2, which condemns the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but remains one from the last allies of Moscow on the European continent”.

The article says that the status of Kosovo is one of the main issues which Moscow uses to influence Belgrade as Russia uses its veto power in the UN Security Council to prevent Kosovo from becoming a member.

It points out that Serbia primarily depends on Russia in the energy sector. Directly or through its subsidiaries, Gazprom is the majority shareholder of the former local oil giant Naftna industrija Srbije (NIS) and is also the main owner of two gas pipelines that bring Russian gas to Serbian homes and industry.

Through its network of companies, the company has been a sponsor of sports clubs for years, such as the Crvena Zvezda Football Club and the Partizan Basketball Club, and it also finances a number of festivals, institutions and cultural events.

Le Figaro reported that graffiti with the Wagner emblem appeared in Belgrade, authored by the extreme right-wing movement Narodna Patrola, which organized demonstrations in support of Russia shortly after the start of the war in Ukraine, and that this prompted Vucic to react.

This time Vučić had to react. "Why do you, members of the Wagner group, invite Serbs to fight in Ukraine, when you know that it is illegal," he said.

The paper also quoted historian Milivoj Beslin, who said that "for Russia, the Balkans have always been a reserve front, so they are working to keep it in a state of permanent instability."