Vucic: Russians offer gas arrangement only until New Year, thus sending message that they can cut off our gas if we start nationalizing NIS

The Russians have offered our country a gas arrangement, but not the one Serbia expected, but an arrangement that is only valid until the end of this year. This was confirmed by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who stated that he had expected it to be at least until May 2026.

– I spoke with Dusan Bajatovic, who was in St. Petersburg. They offered us a gas agreement until the New Year and I said that it was very disappointing news for us, we should have concluded the agreement by May. Why by the New Year? Because they want to tell us that if you start nationalizing NIS, or anything else, we can cut off the gas on December 31. For me, this is a bad message in every sense. Not because we planned to nationalize, because if we had, we would not have had sanctions – Vucic told TV Informer.

The Serbian President pointed out that the sanctions could have been lifted only if he had verbally confirmed that NIS would be nationalized.

– The Americans told me, you don’t have to sign, just tell us verbally that NIS will be nationalized and there will be no sanctions. I said that that was not acceptable to me, we don’t like seizing other people’s property. They said, give me your word, I said if I give my word, I have to keep it. You have to exhaust every other possibility before you even think about something like that – Vucic told Informer.

NIS a.d. Novi Sad

Naftna industrija Srbije ad Novi Sad

NIS

Aleksandar Vučić

Dušan Bajatović

sanctions on NIS

nationalization of NIS

gas arrangement with Russia