Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 7, discussing a range of issues including US sanctions on Serbian oil and gas producer NIS, and the renewal of a crucial gas supply agreement set to expire at the end of May.

In a post on Instagram, Vucic described the conversation as "very good" and emphasised the importance of the topics addressed. He said, "A very good conversation with the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin on all important issues of our bilateral cooperation and confirmation of the upcoming meeting on May 9 in Moscow."

The two leaders discussed the gas agreement, with Vucic noting that they were focused on finalising a deal before the current arrangement expires on May 31. Despite ongoing efforts by the Serbian government to diversify its energy sources, the country remains highly dependent on Russian natural gas, and the upcoming deal signals that Russian energy will continue to play a central role in Serbia’s energy strategy for the foreseeable future.

"We spoke about what is of exceptional importance to Serbia, such as cooperation with Russian Railways, but above all, how and in what way to conclude a gas arrangement before May 31st and how to resolve the issue of NIS, bearing in mind the US sanctions imposed against that company," Vucic wrote.

NIS, which is majority-owned by Russia's Gazprom and Gazprom Neft, is currently under secondary sanctions threat after the US announced in January a host of new sanctions targeting entities connected to Russia's energy sector.

The conversation also touched on domestic developments in Serbia, including the ongoing anti-government protests that have rocked the country in recent months. Vucic said that he had discussed these domestic issues with Putin, emphasising the Kremlin's support for Serbia's government in the face of what he called "a colour revolution".

"I thanked him for the fact that Russian officials do not support the colour revolution," Vucic said, referring to the widespread anti-corruption protests led by students and fuelled by frustration over the government’s handling of construction projects following a deadly accident at a train station in Novi Sad.

The protests, which have been ongoing for several months, were sparked by the deaths of 15 people when an awning at a renovated train station collapsed in Novi Sad. Since then, student-led demonstrations have spread throughout the country, leading to the resignation of Prime Minister Milos Vucevic in January.

Serbia, which maintains strong historical ties with Russia, has walked a delicate line between its allegiance to Moscow and its aspirations to join the EU. While Belgrade has condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it has consistently refused to adopt Western sanctions against Moscow and maintained friendly relations with the Kremlin. 

In addition to the friendly diplomatic and domestic discussions, Putin congratulated Vucic on his recent 55th birthday, and the two leaders confirmed that Vucic will travel to Moscow in May to attend the 80th anniversary celebrations of the Soviet victory in World War II. Vucic also confirmed that Serbia would send a unit of its army to participate in the May 9 parade marking the occasion.