Moscow and Beijing to maintain ties with Serbia despite Vučić defeat
26.10.2026, DPA
Russia is counting on cooperation with Serbia's new leadership despite an imminent change of power in Belgrade following elections, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Interfax news agency on Monday.
Serbia gets comparatively cheap gas from energy superpower Russia. Moscow hopes that the new political movement understands that cooperation with Russia is in Belgrade's interest, because Serbia especially benefits from it, Peskov said.
The opposition Student List won a surprise absolute majority in a snap parliamentary election on Sunday with just over 53% of the votes, according to preliminary figures from the Serbian electoral commission.
Long-time ruler Aleksandar Vučić, who maintained close ties with Russia, has already conceded defeat after his party won just over 39% of the votes. Turnout reached a record 69%, according to the commission.
According to a projection by election research institute CeSID, the Student List will take 139 of the 250 parliamentary seats, while Vučić's Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) must go into opposition with 104 seats.
"We want to express our hope that the actions are geared constructively towards the further development of relations," Peskov said, referring to the election winners.
Russia is also counting on Vučić in his work in the opposition, Peskov said, adding that Moscow greatly values his contribution to relations between the two countries so far.
Above all, Russia hopes that Serbia will continue not to join Western sanctions over Moscow's war against Ukraine.
China and Serbia also maintained close relations under Vučić. After the election, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said in Beijing that China was ready to work with the new Serbian government to promote the traditional friendship and consolidate mutual political trust.
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