Vucic says he faces pressure over Serbia’s ammunition export ban

He disclosed plans to create a “black, gray, and white list” of countries regarding Serbia’s ammunition exports.

“The Council for National Security is issuing an order to the Ministry of Trade: no more ammunition leaves Serbia. But this creates a serious problem for us,” Vucic told reporters in Belgrade after a ceremony honoring top medical graduates.

The president shared that he has been under “enormous pressure, both domestic and international” since Monday evening following his announcement that all ammunition exports will be suspended. He said he was informed that protests are expected in July at factories in Serbia’s defense industry.

“There is enormous pressure to allow another five, ten, or 50 contracted shipments to go through, and after I declined, I was told that protests are expected in July at defense industry factories to show me that we have to export because they need their wages and that they live off that,” the president said.

Vucic added that Serbia imports “a lot of things” from Israel, but declined to elaborate.

“I’m hoping certain things will arrive in the country, but I’m not about to say what’s taken off or landed,” he remarked.

An Israeli Boeing 747 cargo plane, often used for weapons transport, landed in Belgrade on Monday from Israel, the same day that the president announced the export ban. Information quickly appeared on social media suggesting it had come to collect a military shipment.