US imposes sanctions on two Serbian politicians

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that Misa Vacic, leader of the Serbian Right party, and Nenad Popovic, a former cabinet minister, were designated in connection with “Russia’s malign influence in the region and the corruption that enables it”.

“The Department is designating Misa Vacic, a Serbian politician, for participating in Kremlin-organized illegitimate annexation referenda in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine in September 2022. The Department is also designating Nenad Popovic, a former Serbian government official, and his associated companies. Popovic maintains close ties to the Kremlin and uses his network for corrupt schemes to build personal wealth,” Miller said.

The State and Treasury Departments also imposed sanctions on 12 companies in the Western Balkans under an executive order which authorizes sanctions “with respect to specified harmful foreign activities of the Government of the Russian Federation”.

A Treasury Department press release said that “Vacic stated that, at the invitation of Vladimir Putin, he was an “international observer” of Russia’s sham referenda in Russia-occupied regions of Ukraine in September 2022. VACIC advocated for the purported annexation of these regions by Russia”.

It said that Popovic, a founder of the Serbian People’s Party, “owns numerous companies and holdings in Serbia and Russia and uses senior connections in the Kremlin to enrich himself, secure business for his holdings, and facilitate embezzlement and corrupt tax schemes”. The 12 companies designated by the Treasury Department are all connected to Popovic.