Serbia suspends arms exports for a month

Serbia has suspended arms exports from the country for 30 days, reported The Associated Press (AP) agency, citing a statement by the Minister of Defense of the Republic, Milos Vucevic.

The introduction of restrictions is associated with meeting the needs of the Serbian army, as well as with increasing the combat readiness of Serbia against the backdrop of tensions. The decision can be reviewed after the deadline.

“This does not mean that Serbia is going to fight or calls for war, but we are considering all the risks and security challenges,” the country’s defense minister said.

The agency clarified that the decision to suspend exports was made after the imposition of US sanctions on Serbian intelligence chief Alexander Vulin due to alleged criminal activity. President of the Republic Aleksandar Vucic noted that the sanctions against the head of intelligence were introduced because of his “pro-Russian position.”

On May 26, another aggravation took place in the north of Kosovo and Metohija. Protests erupted in several Serb-majority municipalities over the outcome of the last election, which was won by Albanians despite record low turnout. Serbian protesters demanded the cancellation of the results and the resignation of the heads of municipalities.

The Kosovo police responded by dispersing demonstrations with tear gas and stun grenades in some municipalities. After that, the Serbian army was put on full alert and advanced to the administrative border with Kosovo. The Russian Foreign Ministry condemned the actions of the Kosovo authorities in connection with “new anti-Serb provocations.”