Relationship dossier
Russia
Serbia
Relationship assessment
Close political and energy ties, with Serbia balancing cooperation with Russia against condemnation of its invasion of Ukraine
Russia toward Serbia
+65Russia has supported Serbia's position on Kosovo in international forums and maintained significant energy ties, including through Gazprom's investment in Serbia's oil and gas sector and bilateral gas supply arrangements.
Serbia toward Russia
+55Serbia has maintained energy and political cooperation with Russia and declined to join sanctions imposed by Western governments after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Serbia also voted at the United Nations to condemn the invasion.
Overall relationship
+60The relationship is underpinned by sustained political support from Russia on Kosovo and substantial energy links. Serbia's refusal to join sanctions has preserved cooperation, although its condemnation of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its EU integration ambitions create limits and friction.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Russia and Serbia maintain a close political and energy relationship. Russia supports Serbia's position on Kosovo and has supplied natural gas under bilateral arrangements. Serbia has declined to join Western sanctions against Russia, while also voting at the United Nations to condemn Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Areas of tension
- Serbia's United Nations votes condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine contrast with its refusal to join sanctions.
- EU pressure for Serbia to align its foreign policy with sanctions on Russia creates a point of strain.
Key developments
Russia opposed Kosovo's declaration of independence and supported Serbia's position in international forums.
Russia and Serbia signed a strategic partnership declaration.
Serbia voted in the United Nations General Assembly to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Serbia and Russia agreed to a new gas supply arrangement.
Major uncertainties
- The future scope of Russian gas supply and energy cooperation is uncertain.
- The extent to which Serbia's policy toward Russia may change under pressure to align with EU sanctions is unclear.