BELGRADE, October 20. /TASS/. Serbia has found itself in a "nearly hopeless situation" following the EU Council's decision to phase-out purchases of Russian gas, Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic-Handanovic announced.
"Serbia is in an extremely difficult and almost hopeless situation, since the Council of the European Union approved a ban on Russian gas transit through EU territory to third countries, which comes into effect on January 1, 2026. The point is that Bulgaria will not allow Russian gas to pass through the Balkan Stream pipeline, which will also harm Serbia in the future," the minister wrote on her Instagram page (banned in Russia, owned by the Meta corporation, which is considered extremist in Russia).
According to her, thanks to "President Aleksandar Vucic’s excellent relations with world leaders," Belgrade hopes to find a solution and is doing everything possible to resolve the current situation.
"But the situation is almost hopeless, especially given the current problems with NIS (Naftna Industrija Srbije - TASS). Our country, which is not involved in any conflict, has suffered for no reason. Despite everything, we will do everything possible, as before, to ensure that citizens do not experience the problems we face," Djedovic-Handanovic stressed.
Serbian Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic previously stated that she considers the EU Council's decision catastrophic and sees no way out of the current energy crisis. According to her, Belgrade is counting on the return of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic from Hungary and hopes that he will be able to offer a solution.
On Monday, the EU Council approved a gradual ban on all purchases of Russian gas, effective January 1, 2028. The decision applies to both pipeline and liquefied natural gas. New gas contracts will be prohibited from January 1, 2026, with short-term contracts required to be completed by June 17, 2026, and long-term contracts allowed to be valid until January 1, 2028. The European Parliament is pushing for an even stricter ban, demanding a halt to all Russian gas supplies to EU countries from January 1, 2027. Hungary expressed its intention to seek an exemption from these rules.
About sanctions against NIS
In early January 2025, the US Treasury imposed sanctions against Gazprom Neft, its CEO Alexander Dyukov, and Serbia's NIS. Since then, the NIS has received multiple sanctions waivers from the US. The restrictions came into effect on the morning of October 9. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic stated that he does not blame Russia for the sanctions against NIS and called on Moscow to find a joint solution to the problem. Following a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on October 15, the Serbian President noted that due to US measures, the Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS) has actually found itself under EU restrictions.
NIS's main production facilities are located in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary. The majority shareholders are Gazprom Neft (44.85%), Serbia (29.87%), and Intelligence JSC, a St. Petersburg company controlled by Gazprom Capital (11.3%).