Serbia Approves New Government Featuring US-Sanctioned Ministers
- Two ministers in Vucevic’s cabinet are under US sanctions
- Lineup highlights Vucic’s fraught geopolitical balancing act
The Serbian Parliament building in Belgrade. Lawmakers in Belgrade voted 152-61 to approve the government on Thursday.
Photographer: Oliver Bunic/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Serbia’s parliament approved a new cabinet that includes two ministers under US sanctions, underscoring President Aleksandar Vucic’s increasingly fraught balancing act between seeking to join the European Union and maintaining ties with Russia.
Aleksandar Vulin, sanctioned by the US for alleged drug trafficking and abuse of public office to help Russia’s “malign activities” in the Balkans, will serve as a deputy to Prime Minister Milos Vucevic. He had served as defense minister and intelligence chief in the previous administration until he resigned in November, when the sanctions were leveled.