Serbia hopes to avoid US tariffs tied to Russian gas, president says

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has expressed hope that Serbia can avoid potential US tariffs linked to its imports of Russian natural gas, saying the issue will be raised during an upcoming strategic dialogue with Washington.

Speaking to Serbian journalists in Paris, Vučić said Belgrade is closely monitoring recent international developments, particularly proposals targeting countries that continue to purchase Russian energy.

"Unfortunately, all the other developments we see in the news do not bode well for anyone in the world, and certainly not for our country. I am referring, in particular, to the recently announced tariffs for countries that import Russian gas and oil. We do not import oil, but we do import Russian gas. Therefore, I hope that the strategic dialogue with the United States, which begins this Friday, will give us the opportunity to discuss all these issues and try to resolve them in a different way, as well as secure a certain degree of understanding from the American side regarding Serbia. The continuation of the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz and the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine are very bad news," Vučić said.

His remarks came after CNN reported that US President Donald Trump is expected to support congressional approval of legislation aimed at tightening sanctions on Russia.

According to the report, if passed by Congress, the bill would authorize the Trump administration to impose tariffs on countries that continue purchasing Russian energy resources. The bipartisan legislation, introduced in early April by a group of US senators, also provides for secondary sanctions against Russia's trading partners, including 500% tariffs on imports into the United States from countries that buy Russian oil, natural gas, uranium, and other Russian goods.

By Vafa Guliyeva