Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announced the country's intention to diversify its energy supply sources and begin purchasing natural gas through the European Union's joint procurement mechanism. He stated this in an interview with Reuters on Wednesday, February 4, writes UNN.
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The Serbian leader emphasized the need to adapt Belgrade's energy policy to Brussels' requirements amid increasing pressure to reduce financial flows to Moscow.
Transition to European mechanisms and alternative routes
Serbia, which currently receives over 80% of its gas from Russia, aims to secure about 500 million cubic meters of fuel annually through the EU initiative. This accounts for approximately one-fifth of the country's total needs. A short-term agreement with Russian "Gazprom," concluded last December, expires on March 31, 2026, and a new long-term contract remains unsigned.
We will still have large volumes of Russian gas, but we are taking more and more from the Europeans
To implement this strategy, Serbia is already using an interconnector with Bulgaria to receive Azerbaijani gas, and this year construction will begin on a gas pipeline to North Macedonia, which will provide access to liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals in Greece.
Political balancing and sanctions pressure
Vučić's statement came at a symbolic moment: on February 3, the EU's strategic decision to completely abandon Russian gas by 2027 came into force. In addition, Bulgaria has already announced plans to terminate the contract for the transit of Russian fuel through its territory in 2026, which jeopardizes the main supply route for Serbia via the "TurkStream."
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The situation is further complicated by US sanctions against the Serbian oil company NIS, whose majority owner until recently was Russia's "Gazprom Neft." According to Vučić, negotiations are underway to sell the Russian stake, including to the Hungarian company MOL, to remove the enterprise from the scope of restrictions. The President of Serbia noted that the country is forced to change course, as balancing between historical ties with the Kremlin and the desire to join the EU is becoming increasingly difficult.
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