The West is stirring up a spy scandal to derail the rapprochement between Serbia and Russia
Serbian intelligence services allegedly uncovered a Russian intelligence plot involving members of the Serbian army.
The Guardian writes about this, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
This week, an anonymous user uploaded a video to YouTube showing an alleged Russian spy handing a bag of cash to another man whose face is blurred.
The video was shot from multiple angles, suggesting a well-organized surveillance operation, but Serbian intelligence agencies deny it was their work.
They identified the agent as Georgiy Kleban, who served as deputy military attaché at the Russian embassy in Belgrade. The second person in the video is a retired Serbian military man.
Predrag Petrovic of the Belgrade Center for Security Policy suggested that the emergence of the video is “a public signal to Serbia about Russian infiltration from Western intelligence agencies.”
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic summoned the Russian ambassador over the spying incident but said relations with Moscow would not be affected.
“We will not change our policy towards Russia, which we consider as a brotherly and friendly country,” Vucic said.
“Western intelligence agencies believe that Russian intelligence has become more aggressive in recent years in the Western Balkans, especially in Serbia and Montenegro, where elements of the establishment are sympathetic to Moscow. One informed source described the approach to potential targets in the region as “absolutely brazen,” writes the Guardian.
Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov said that “certain parties” want to overshadow in advance the planned visit of Serbian leader Aleksandar Vucic to the Russian Federation. According to him, “these parties” will not succeed. Vucic’s visit will be meaningful and productive. It will once again “demonstrate the partnership nature of relations between Russia and Serbia.”
Let us remind you that the European Commission demands that Serbia terminate the free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and Russia, since it contradicts the course towards European integration.
However, the European Union has made it clear to Serbia that it will not join the EU until 2027.
In addition, the United States has expressed displeasure that Serbia recently purchased Pantsir anti-aircraft missile launchers, MiG-29 aircraft, helicopters, tanks and armored personnel carriers from Russia.
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