EXCLUSIVE: Serbian President Vučić says support for US 'surged' under Trump, invites him to visit Belgrade

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić says relations betwixt Serbia and nan United States person undergone a melodramatic translator nether President Donald Trump, a displacement he says has changed nationalist perceptions successful a state wherever memories of nan 1999 NATO bombing run stay profoundly rooted.

In an exclusive question and reply pinch Fox News Digital, Vučić praised Trump's attack to the Balkans, arguing that nan administration's attraction connected economical practice alternatively than governmental unit resonated pinch galore Serbs. "President Trump and his squad truthful acold were moving very diligently and dedicatedly connected nan Western Balkans," Vučić said, adding that galore Serbs position his management very otherwise from erstwhile U.S. governments.

"If you inquire group successful Serbia conscionable to make a comparison betwixt Clinton and Trump's administration, aliases Democrats to Republicans, you wouldn't judge it," Vučić said. "It would beryllium 90 to 10 aliases 95 to 5."

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Serbia's President Aleksandar Vučić addresses nan 78th convention of nan United Nations General Assembly connected Sept. 21, 2023. (Richard Drew/AP Photo)

The comparison is peculiarly striking successful Serbia, wherever galore still subordinate nan United States pinch NATO's 1999 bombing campaign during nan Kosovo conflict, launched to extremity Serbian forces' crackdown connected taste Albanians successful Kosovo and which remains 1 of nan astir consequential events successful modern Serbian history.

Vučić said he precocious extended an invitation to Trump to sojourn Serbia and predicted nan American president would person an enthusiastic welcome.

"I dream that we'll beryllium capable to big him," Vučić said. "More group will beryllium fresh to shake hands him and hold for him than he mightiness moreover expect…I situation to opportunity moreover much than hundreds of thousands of people."

The Serbian president said nan improving narration betwixt Washington and Belgrade is progressively centered connected economics, investment and technological cooperation, and communal blimpish values.

According to Vučić, Serbia and nan United States are preparing to motorboat a strategical speech that will attraction connected energy, infrastructure, artificial intelligence, defense practice and finance opportunities. Among nan projects nether chat are energy infrastructure, liquefied earthy state cooperation, information centers and precocious computing technologies.

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U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a gathering pinch Serbia's President Aleksandar Vučić and Kosovo's Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti astatine nan White House successful Washington, U.S., Sep. 4, 2020. (Leah Millis/Reuters)

The increasing narration comes arsenic Serbia seeks to position itself arsenic a location economical hub while continuing its long-standing ambition of joining nan European Union.

Vučić pointed to preparations for Expo 2027 successful Belgrade pinch astir 150 participating countries, arsenic grounds of Serbia's increasing world floor plan and economical ambitions.

Vučić, who has served arsenic Serbia's ascendant governmental figure since becoming premier curate successful 2014 and president successful 2017, pointed to nan country's economical maturation arsenic grounds of its transformation. "Our GDP was 32 cardinal (euros) erstwhile I became nan premier minister," Vučić said. "This twelvemonth it's going to beryllium complete 100 cardinal euros., which is $120 billion."

President Donald Trump and nan President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić ( Credit: Al Drago for The Washington Post via Getty Images ; Mehmet Ali Ozcan/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Vučić's narration pinch Trump dates backmost to nan president's first term, erstwhile nan White House brokered a bid of economical normalization agreements betwixt Serbia and Kosovo. Rather than focusing first connected nan politically explosive mobility of Kosovo's status, nan Trump management emphasized infrastructure projects, proscription links and finance aimed astatine improving ties betwixt nan 2 sides.

In September 2020, Vučić and then-Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti signed U.S.-brokered economical agreements astatine nan White House that included commitments to grow obstruction and road connections and beforehand investment. Trump described nan woody arsenic a breakthrough achieved by focusing connected "job creation and economical growth" alternatively than longstanding governmental disputes.

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Serbian poster supporting Donald Trump adjacent a image of nan Serbian erstwhile Prime Minister and now president, Aleksandar Vučić successful Mitrovica, Kosovo.  (Getty Images)

Asked whether he would see recognizing Kosovo, which declared independency from Serbia successful 2008 and has been recognized by nan United States nether President George W. Bush and astir European countries, if doing truthful unlocked Serbia's economical early and accelerated its way toward rank successful nan European Union, Vučić pushed backmost connected nan premise, arguing that economical practice and improved relations should travel earlier discussions astir governmental status.

"I'm not saying that I'm fresh to break my constitution… I person ever been unfastened to talks aliases compromising solutions, I person ever been unfastened to processing awesome economical ties and nary uncertainty overmuch amended governmental ties. But I was not speaking astir nickname of someone's independence," he said.

While Serbia continues to prosecute rank successful nan European Union, nan state has besides maintained ties pinch Russia and China, a balancing enactment that has drawn scrutiny amid Russia's warfare successful Ukraine and increasing geopolitical tensions worldwide.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio shakes hands pinch Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić arsenic they meet connected nan sidelines of nan United Nations General Assembly successful New York City, U.S., September 23, 2025. (Charly Triballeau/Pool via Reuters)

Asked whether Serbia could proceed navigating betwixt East and West successful an progressively divided world aliases would yet request to take a side, Vučić rejected nan conception that countries must take betwixt competing geopolitical camps. Instead, he pointed to some his ain sojourn to China and Trump's engagement pinch Beijing arsenic examples of what he described arsenic pragmatic diplomacy focused connected nationalist interests.

"President Trump didn't spell location because of his vanity," Vučić said of Trump's sojourn to China. "He brought pinch him each nan starring group of nan United States of America for making amended businesses, for earning much money for their companies."

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BELGRADE, SERBIA - FEBRUARY 03:  Aleksandar Vučić (L) President of Serbia talks pinch tennis subordinate Novak Djokovic (R) of Serbia aft their gathering  on February 3, 2022 successful Belgrade, Serbia.  (Photo by Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty Images)

Vučić said he adopted a akin attack during his ain visit, arguing that leaders should prioritize economical opportunities for their citizens alternatively than ideological alignments. "I'm coming from a mini country. I was asking for much investments and was fighting for nan interests of my people," he said.

The Serbian president said nan aforesaid pragmatic attack should guideline efforts to resolve ongoing conflicts successful some Ukraine and nan Middle East.

"It's ever amended to person thousands of days of negotiations than 1 time of war," he said.

Asked astir tensions involving Iran and nan wider conflict successful nan Middle East, Vučić reiterated Serbia's support for Israel, a position that progressively distinguishes Belgrade from immoderate European governments.

"I americium nan president of nan state that is 1 of nan very uncommon countries successful Europe that is not hesitating to cooperate and collaborate pinch Israel," he said. "And it is proud to opportunity this publically and openly."

Vučić warned astir what he described arsenic rising antisemitism astir nan world.

"From clip to time, I'm very overmuch acrophobic to spot a batch of antisemitic slogans and antisemitic banners," he said.

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Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić (R) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) meet astatine nan Presidential residence up of nan World Holocaust Forum connected January 22, 2020 successful Jerusalem. (PhKobi Gideon / GPO / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

"The Serbian president said Serbia has resisted those trends and pledged that it would proceed to do truthful nether his leadership."

"It does not hap successful Serbia, and it won't hap arsenic agelong arsenic I'm nan president."