Serbia Announces Complete Halt to Weapons Exports

Serbia has announced the suspension of arms exports, including ammunition produced by local defense companies.

Aleksandar Vučić, the country’s president, stated this on Monday, June 23, according to the Balkan service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

When asked by journalists whether Serbia had taken a side in the Israel-Iran conflict by exporting ammunition to Israel, Vučić replied that the country has suspended all exports and is currently supplying ammunition only to its own military.

“We are not exporting anything at the moment. All exports have been halted, and any future decisions to resume will require careful and specific approval. We will evaluate the situation and act in accordance with Serbia’s national interests. The key government authorities will be kept fully informed,” the president stated.

Following a meeting of the expanded General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces, Vučić reflected that Serbia initially agreed to export ammunition to Israel after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.

“However, the situation today is different. We have now completely stopped all exports and are prioritizing supplying our own military,” he added.

The Serbian Ministry of Defense later issued a statement saying that the “export of weapons and military equipment produced in the country is being suspended” in accordance with the president’s directives. The statement explained that in the future, the export of products made by the defense industry will require, in addition to the approval of other relevant ministries and agencies, the consent of the National Security Council.

Exact data on the types and quantities of weapons and military equipment Serbia exports to Israel and other countries are not publicly available.

Vučić also rhetorically asked, “Who is the authorized end user” of Serbian weapons and military equipment.

“I can’t export to Asia, I can’t export to Africa, I can’t export to Europe, I can’t export to America. So, where do you want us to export ammunition — to Antarctica?” the Serbian president said.

“Since we’ve observed ammunition appearing in Ukraine—on both sides, with complaints from all parties—the only way I can address this is by ensuring that, for the time being, all ammunition remains strictly within our own barracks,” he stressed.

The Serbian president’s statement came amid renewed Russian allegations that Serbia is supplying weapons to Ukraine. However, official Belgrade has consistently denied providing arms to either Ukraine or Russia, emphasizing that it cannot control whether Serbian-made weapons, once transferred through third countries, end up on the Ukrainian battlefield.