Due to sanctions, Serbia has given up Russian fighter jets and is eyeing French ones

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić informed that his country plans to increase spending on the modernization of the army. They are considering the purchase of French planes there.

Bloomberg writes about it.

He noted that Serbia used to rely on Russian-made aircraft, but due to sanctions it is almost impossible to maintain them.

"Almost nothing can be imported from Russia now, or almost nothing that has a military purpose," explained Vučić.

According to the Serbian president, the agreement to purchase Rafale aircraft from France could be worth €3 billion if negotiations with the manufacturer are successful.

Back in April of last year, Vučić stated that Serbia, which has traditionally depended on Russian military aircraft and technology, could acquire at least 12 Rafales.

• Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić publicly condemned Russiaʼs invasion of Ukraine. He emphasized that Crimea and Donbas should belong to Ukraine. At the same time, he believes that the worst of the war "is yet to come", as both sides have dug in very hard and are preparing to defend themselves. Vučić informed that he had not spoken to Putin for a long time.
• Serbia is traditionally one of Russiaʼs closest allies in Europe. It also has close economic ties with the Russian Federation. Since the beginning of the invasion, Serbia has been resisting pressure from the European Union and has not imposed sanctions against Russia, although it is a candidate country for EU membership and for this it must pursue a joint foreign policy with the European Union.