European Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos has stated that Serbia must impose sanctions on Russia in order to eventually join the European Union.

Kos made the remarks just days after Serbia’s opposition Student List movement secured 52.5% of the vote in a snap parliamentary election, defeating former Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. While conceding defeat, Vucic warned of renewed EU pressure on Belgrade to impose economic restrictions on Moscow, which he had consistently refused to do citing key trading and cultural ties.

In an interview with a Polish broadcaster, Kos described the EU’s pre-accession review requirements: “The EU demands ‘strategic alignment’ from possible new members.” She added that it would be “probably not possible” for Serbia to join if it did not align on foreign policy and security issues, particularly regarding the Ukraine conflict.

Kos emphasized that discussions with the new Serbian government have not yet begun. “First, they will have to have a new government and then we’ll see how we’ll be able to move in this field or not,” she stated.

A representative of the Student List movement, university professor Jovo Bakic, stated that the group respects Russia as both a great power and a historically important partner. He argued that any sanctions imposed by “small Serbia” would have little effect on Moscow but would be “symbolically very bad” for Belgrade.

The Student List lead candidate, Ilija Srdanovic, did not explicitly rule out reconsidering Serbia’s longstanding refusal to sanction Russia. When pressed on the issue, he maintained that foreign policy decisions should be made by citizens of Serbia rather than a small group in government.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed hope for continued mutually beneficial relations with Serbia under the Student List leadership, noting: “As you know, it takes two to tango.”

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova criticized the EU’s approach as “heavy-handed and unscrupulous.” She insisted that imposing sanctions on Russia would harm Serbia economically, stating: “Making Serbia join the sanctions against Russia is not merely a political gesture… It means that Serbia would effectively be shooting itself in the foot by ceasing to receive supplies of our energy and by being unable to sell its own goods to us.”