Serbia facing 'color revolution': Deputy PM
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Serbia faces the threat of a "color revolution" orchestrated by Western security agencies, according to Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin, as student-led protests against corruption and government negligence escalate.
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A protester lights a flare during a major rally against populist President Aleksandar Vucic and his government, in downtown Belgrade, Serbia, on March 15, 2025. (AP)
Serbia is facing the danger of a "color revolution," according to Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin. He accused Western security agencies of orchestrating unrest to provoke a government overthrow similar to Ukraine's 2014 Maidan coup.
Student-led protests in Serbia, sparked by accusations of corruption and government negligence, have been ongoing for months. The unrest was ignited by the deadly collapse of a concrete canopy at the Novy Sad railway station in November 2024.
The protests escalated with a massive rally in Belgrade on March 15, which resulted in violent clashes between demonstrators and the police.
During a meeting in Moscow with the secretary of the Russian National Security Council on Saturday, Vulin said, “A color revolution is taking place in Belgrade...Western security services are behind the color revolution as they want to put a new government in power."
He stressed that the Serbian authorities “would not allow it.”
Hundreds of thousands of people take to the streets of Belgrade in protest against Serbia’s president and government pic.twitter.com/gdwD1Pjktq
— Historic Vids (@historyinmemes) March 15, 2025
Students, and now farmers joining the protests against corruption in Belgrade Serbia. Red carpet for people that feed us. Bravo! 🇷🇸 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/zFbOncv06Q
— Snež (@jananiz1) March 15, 2025
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has previously accused foreign powers of inciting unrest to destabilize the country, alleging that opposition groups are collaborating with Western, Croatian, and Albanian intelligence agencies to overthrow his government.
Vulin echoed these accusations, claiming that the West seeks to “destroy Serbia.” He further implied that the pressure on Serbia is connected to Belgrade's position on its relationship with Russia.
Serbia has refused to join the Western sanctions against Moscow over the Ukraine conflict and "never will," according to the deputy prime minister.
Vulin warned that the forces fueling the unrest could soon lead to further “radicalization” of the protests. He added, “Those who organized [the March 15 rally] would like to see a ‘Maidan’ and are working on making that happen,” in a statement to Shoigu.
In turn, Shoigu, a former Russian defense minister, expressed concern about the situation in Serbia. He stated that Russia “cherishes” its relationship with Belgrade, highlighting that the two nations maintain an “open dialogue” and cooperate particularly in countering “color revolutions.”
Vulin thanked the Russian security services for their intelligence-sharing efforts, saying, “They know the danger Serbia is facing. We have very good communication and I am very grateful for that.” Shoigu, in turn, assured that Belgrade can “always rely on Russia’s aid in any issues.”
