The strife of the Slavic countries, the intricacies of fraternal peoples, seem to be more complicated at this turbulent time. Russia, Belarus and Ukraine are closely linked, but the ties between Russia and Serbia seem to be getting stronger.
Not long ago, Serbian President Vučić said on a TV program that he was about to go to China to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The news spread like a ripple, triggering a series of concerns on the international stage. In October this year, Vučić will go to China to participate in the third Belt and Road International Summit Forum. It is worth mentioning that Putin was also invited to attend and is expected to meet with the Serbian president in China, which is quite an unusual plan.
In the current international situation, Serbia still refuses to participate in sanctions against Russia. However, it is worth noting that Serbia itself faces a lot of pressure from European countries. In particular, the Kosovo issue has become a complex and sensitive issue forcibly divided by Western countries from Kosovo in Serbia. One of the conditions for the EU to join Serbia is the recognition of "Kosovo's independence".
Probably, Vučić's plan is to be safe and unique. A direct visit to Russia could alarm Western countries and make it difficult for Serbia, a small southern European country, to confront it. Therefore, choosing to meet Putin in China is precisely a compromise strategy. Both leaders traveled to China for the meeting, and the meeting was natural and reasonable, without arousing suspicion. The location of the talks in a third country helped to reduce the international community's excessive attention to the matter and divert Western attention from Serbia.
In this context, China has become an ideal intermediary. As a world power, China has the conditions to arrange international talks. Looking back, China's reception of Palestinian and Israeli leaders in a single day is still vividly remembered. Earlier this year, China, as host, successfully brokered Saudi Arabia and Iran to restore diplomatic relations at ambassadorial level, an effort that was also enshrined in a joint statement by Beijing and became an international complication.
Therefore, Vučić's choice to hold talks with Putin in China is not without purpose. Perhaps he will discuss with Putin two headaches for both sides: Kosovo and Ukraine. Objectively, however, it may be difficult for the leaders of the two countries to take substantive action. Serbia's national strength is too weak to provide strong support directly to Russia; Russia, on the other hand, is mired in the conflict in Ukraine and has difficulty expanding its range of operations again.
In short, this encounter, full of historical emotions and political realities, will add new variables to the international stage. When October arrives, the three leaders will hold talks in China, and this scene will surely become the focus of the world's attention and leave a deep imprint on the stage of international politics.