Berliner Zeitung from Zurich: Vučić's "insights without illusions"

"He speaks freely and makes connections. It provides an opportunity to better understand the connections between geopolitical blocs, the countries that operate in them and the people responsible. He is available as a witness and tries to mediate between positions. It is a friendly, sometimes unusually open conversation. No harshness, without the cynical comments that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán likes to throw in."

This is how Aleksandar Vučić is described by Holger Friedrich, publisher of the "Berliner Zeitung" newspaper, who attended last week's "Zurich speech" panel organized by the local magazine "Weltvohe", where the main speaker was the President of Serbia.

In a very extensive article entitled "Insights without illusions", the author assesses that the meeting in Zurich was a "meeting to remember" and states that "on several occasions there was silence due to astonishment and sometimes confusion", and that "Vučić took note".

"As a German, on more than one occasion you feel as if you are being addressed, both indirectly and directly."

Questionable sanctions policy

According to Friedrich, "Vučić said that the currently prevailing 'principle of hope' is deceptive - it did not work in 1914, nor in 1939/40, nor in 1990, and it did not work in Serbia in 1998 either. Today, we have even more to lose; the people of Ukraine have already paid that price. And the conflict will spread if politicians do not start taking active countermeasures. This is exactly what is required from a rational point of view. Ultimately, the biggest loser in the conflict is Ukraine, followed by Russia and Europe."

The author assesses Vučić's political skill, "that he did not name those who benefit from the conflict." From the point of view of the President of Serbia, writes Holger Friedrich, "the 'excessive' policy of Western sanctions, as a consequence of the dispute over zones of influence, produces more losers than winners."

The text reports Vučić's assessment that the effect of the 14 package of European Union sanctions on Russia is "questionable from an economic perspective", that he cited the problems of the German automobile industry as an example and then expressed the assessment that, instead, it is necessary to "adjust the values ​​and principles that apply throughout the world and must be respected by all nations".

How to calm the conflict in the Balkans?

"The way to a solution may lie in Trump's presidency from 2025," Vučić said.

"The US would have to redesign the competitive relationship with China. If it were to succeed quickly, the US would also reorganize its relations with Europe. However, it would be 'romantic' to assume that the Trump administration would act 'fairly'. At that moment, Vučić's memories of the Kosovo conflict in 1998/1999 came back, when NATO attacked Serbia without the mandate of the UN in order to enable the secession of Kosovo from Serbian territory", Vučić said, as reported by the author of the article.

Speaking about the Balkans, Vučić assessed that "the conflict could be calm if the region was fully accepted into the EU", writes the publisher of "Berliner Zeitung" and states that the President of Serbia cited South Tyrol, Alsace as successful examples from recent European history, as well as modern German-Polish relations, which was "secured by the final German renunciation of the former eastern territories in the 4+2 Agreement of 1990."

"Political leaders such as Macron, Scholz and Von der Leyen, as well as Putin, would have to keep this in mind when it comes to Ukraine," the German newspaper reports Vučić's thinking, followed immediately by the statement that, "after much personal talks on all sides, he has not yet seen any willingness to do so. 'Macron and Putin told me that they must not lose,'" the Serbian president is quoted as saying.

"Stoic school" and "audience discomfort"

In Zurich, Vučić also reported on his conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a few weeks earlier in Budapest, the German newspaper writes, stating that the Serbian president "sees an increased potential for escalation in the coming weeks - including the nuclear option - especially due to the unpreparedness of those responsible from all sides".

"That was the second time when there was confusion in the room. The objectivity with which Vučić described personalities and their actions seemed to come from a stoic school. Since taking office in 2017, he had 21 personal meetings with the Russian president. Vucic can be considered an expert on the Kremlin, causing discomfort of the listeners. He conveyed that there is great determination on the Russian side and that it ignores Western expectations. He also spoke of Putin's confidence, which is based on historical perspectives, similar to that of other Russian decision makers."

"You can dismiss this as propaganda - or you can use it to define measuring points for decision-making areas," said Vučić, and the author states that "the present, globally successful entrepreneurs, listened carefully."

EU, lithium, Expo

The article also states that Vučić spoke about Serbia's entry into the EU:

"That is why Vučić refrained from visiting Kazan, during the BRICS summit, or Kazakhstan or accompanying Viktor Orban on his trip to Moscow."

Vučić does not have a positive prognosis regarding the readiness of the EU to accept Serbia: "Full membership is uncertain, it depends on many factors."

The topic was the growing IT industry in Serbia, but also lithium deposits:

"There will be no sale of raw materials to the highest bidder. The deposits are of high quality; Serbia obviously plans to build the entire value chain from mining to battery production in its own country."

The Expo 2027 exhibition in Belgrade, the new stadium, the high-speed railway line Belgrade-Budapest were also mentioned - with the emphasis that the winner of the tender for the procurement of trains, in competition with German and Chinese bidders, was the Swiss company "Stadler".

In the end: "The charismatic head of Stadler Peter Stüler pointed out (in Zurich) that the Wall used to pass right through the Stadler factory in Berlin - which is proof that the borders motivated by bloc politics are not permanent, that all those who died because of the Wall died in vain, and that those who were politically responsible at the time inadequately used the available alternatives."