Disaster for Putin as key Russian ally agrees to help EU supply ammo to Ukraine

Vladimir Putin has been stabbed in the back by a key ally (Image: Getty)

A key Russian ally has said it is prepared to sell ammunition to the EU even if the munitions are then later transferred to Ukraine, in a major blow for Vladimir Putin. Serbia enjoys close political and economic ties with Russia, and is one of the few European countries that has refused to impose sanctions on the Kremlin.

The Balkan country also still buys Russian gas and secured a new three-year deal to import 2.5 billion cubic metres per year in October. Serbia has reaped the rewards of its friendly relations with Moscow, attracting a host of Russian IT investors to help revive the fortunes of the sector. President Alexander Vucic enjoys warm relations with Putin and visited the Russian leader in Moscow in September, as well as attending the World War II victory celebrations back in May.

President Vucic visited Putin in September (Image: Getty)

However, the Serbian President appears to have turned against the Kremlin as he seeks to promote more trade with the EU.

In an interview with the German magazine Cicero, Vucic said Serbia had vast surplus supplies of ammunition, which it would gladly sell to European countries without imposed conditions.

"I don't want to be seen as someone who is constantly supplying ammunition to warring parties, but Europe needs ammunition," he said.

He added: "So I suggested that our friends from the EU sign a sale and purchase agreement with us and take everything we have. It would be a phenomenal contribution we could make to European security."

Pressed on whether his government would allow EU countries to transfer Serbian ammunition to Ukraine, he insisted that "buyers can do whatever they want with them."

Back in May the Serbian President was adamant he would not sell weapons to countries acting as intermediaries for Ukraine.

"I will definitely give an order and a warning that in case of suspicion of misuse by end users and sending to battlefields without our knowledge, such contracts will not be executed," he said at the time.

His comments came following accusations by the Kremlin that Belgrade was tacitly allowing its armaments to reach Ukraine through third parties.

Moscow claimed that Serbia was "shooting Russia in the back" by turning a blind eye to the illicit transfer of weapons.

Vucic even acknowledged in an interview with the Financial Times in June 2024 that roughly 800 million euros-worth of Serbian-made ammunition had made its way to Ukraine indirectly.