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Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a warning on Friday against “external” players meddling in Serbia’s internal affairs as anti-corruption protests rage across the Balkan nation.
Since a concrete roof collapsed at a recently refurbished train station in November, killing 15 people, tens of thousands of people have flocked to the streets throughout Serbia.
Aleksandar Vucic, the president of Serbia, has occasionally accused “foreign agents” of stirring up the protest movement, which has increased pressure on him and his administration.
Putin “expressed support for the actions of the legally elected authorities” during a Friday phone conversation with Vucic, according to the Kremlin.
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“Vladimir Putin noted that external interference in the domestic political situation in Serbia is unacceptable,” it said.
Putin said he had “solidarity” with Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik, who was sentenced to a year in prison last week for disobeying an international peace envoy’s directives.
Although the Kremlin has launched a military attack on Ukraine, Serbia has remained loyal to Moscow and, in contrast to the EU, which it aspires to join, has not imposed sanctions on Russia.
Vucic has warned that Serbia, which depends largely on Russian gas, would suffer in the long run from sanctions.
The Kremlin said that Vucic and Putin spoke on Friday about “further cooperation” in respective energy sectors.
