The European Union is blocking the signing of a long term natural gas contract between Russia and Serbia, as it seeks to shift Belgrade into supply channels controlled by the EU, the Russian embassy in the Balkan republic told Izvestia.
However, there is no alternative to Russian fuel, with market prices in Europe significantly higher and natural gas reserves in a number of EU countries falling to critical levels.
Brussels is also obstructing the construction of a natural gas pipeline from Serbia to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Dependence on Russian natural gas
Serbia currently relies on Russian natural gas for more than 80% of its total consumption.
Russian gas is currently delivered via the onshore extension of TurkStream, which has a total annual capacity of 15,75 billion cubic meters. Beyond this particular Balkan country, Hungary and Slovakia also import gas through this branch of the pipeline.
The impending EU ban on Russian gas imports has been a key obstacle to concluding a long term natural gas contract between Serbia and Russia.
Supplies to Serbia pass through Bulgaria, which simply will not allow the transit of Russian gas once the new restrictions come into force, Igor Yushkov, leading analyst at the National Energy Security Fund, told Izvestia.
Elections and political trajectory
In 2026 to 2027, Serbia will enter another election cycle, as parliamentary and presidential elections are scheduled.
Milan Lazovic, Program Manager at the Russian International Affairs Council, told Izvestia that radical changes in Belgrade’s political course or drastic moves toward Russia should not be expected after the elections.
According to him, Serbia will continue its path toward EU membership, and the republic is prepared to join even without the right to use a veto in any decision making process.
However, Belgrade will not proceed with severing its ties with Moscow.
For Russia, maintaining energy and political ties with Serbia would mean not only stable export revenues amid sanctions, but also the preservation of a valuable partner in Central Europe, he argued.
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