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 the United States person undergone a melodramatic translation nether President Donald Trump, a displacement helium says has changed nationalist perceptions successful a state wherever memories of the 1999 NATO bombing run stay profoundly rooted.

In an exclusive interrogation with Fox News Digital, Vučić praised Trump's attack to the Balkans, arguing that the administration's absorption connected economical practice alternatively than governmental unit resonated with galore Serbs. "President Trump and his squad truthful acold were moving precise diligently and dedicatedly connected the Western Balkans," Vučić said, adding that galore Serbs presumption his medication precise otherwise from erstwhile U.S. governments.

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

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

The examination is peculiarly striking successful Serbia, wherever galore inactive subordinate the United States with NATO's 1999 bombing run during the Kosovo conflict, launched to halt Serbian forces' crackdown connected taste Albanians successful Kosovo and which remains 1 of the astir consequential events successful modern Serbian history.

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

"I anticipation that we'll beryllium capable to big him," Vučić said. "More radical volition beryllium acceptable to greet him and hold for him than helium mightiness adjacent expect…I situation to accidental adjacent much than hundreds of thousands of people."

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

According to Vučić, Serbia and the United States are preparing to motorboat a strategical dialog that volition absorption connected energy, infrastructure, artificial intelligence, defence practice and concern opportunities. Among the projects nether treatment are vigor infrastructure, liquefied earthy state cooperation, information centers and precocious computing technologies.

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

The increasing narration comes arsenic Serbia seeks to presumption itself arsenic a determination economical hub portion continuing its long-standing ambition of joining the European Union.

Vučić pointed to preparations for Expo 2027 successful Belgrade with astir 150 participating countries, arsenic grounds of Serbia's increasing planetary illustration and economical ambitions.

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

President Donald Trump and the 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 with Trump dates backmost to the president's archetypal term, erstwhile the White House brokered a bid of economical normalization agreements betwixt Serbia and Kosovo. Rather than focusing archetypal connected the politically explosive question of Kosovo's status, the Trump medication emphasized infrastructure projects, proscription links and concern aimed astatine improving ties betwixt the 2 sides.

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

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

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

"I'm not saying that I'm acceptable to interruption my constitution… I person ever been unfastened to talks oregon compromising solutions, I person ever been unfastened to processing large economical ties and nary uncertainty overmuch amended governmental ties. But I was not speaking astir designation of someone's independence," helium said.

While Serbia continues to prosecute rank successful the European Union, the state has besides maintained ties with 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 with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić arsenic they conscionable connected the sidelines of the 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 satellite oregon would yet request to take a side, Vučić rejected the conception that countries indispensable take betwixt competing geopolitical camps. Instead, helium pointed to some his ain sojourn to China and Trump's engagement with Beijing arsenic examples of what helium described arsenic pragmatic diplomacy focused connected nationalist interests.

"President Trump didn't spell determination due to the fact that of his vanity," Vučić said of Trump's sojourn to China. "He brought with him each the starring radical of the United States of America for making amended businesses, for earning much wealth for their companies."

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BELGRADE, SERBIA - FEBRUARY 03:  Aleksandar Vučić (L) President of Serbia talks with 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 helium 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 tiny country. I was asking for much investments and was warring for the interests of my people," helium said.

The Serbian president said the aforesaid pragmatic attack should usher efforts to resoluteness ongoing conflicts successful some Ukraine and the Middle East.

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

Asked astir tensions involving Iran and the wider struggle successful the Middle East, Vučić reiterated Serbia's enactment for Israel, a presumption that progressively distinguishes Belgrade from immoderate European governments.

"I americium the president of the state that is 1 of the precise uncommon countries successful Europe that is not hesitating to cooperate and collaborate with Israel," helium said. "And it is arrogant to accidental this publically and openly."

Vučić warned astir what helium described arsenic rising antisemitism astir the world.

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

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Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić (R) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) conscionable astatine the Presidential residence up of the 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 bash truthful nether his leadership."

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