Serbia Hopes for Gas Deal Extension After Vucic-Putin Call

Serbia hopes to secure another extension of its gas deal with Russia, President Aleksandar Vucic said Saturday after a call with Vladimir Putin, as Belgrade seeks a longer-term agreement. The Balkan nation remains heavily dependent on Russian gas but has failed to secure a long-term contract since its previous three-year deal expired in summer 2025, relying instead on short-term extensions.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “The gas arrangement expires on Sept. 30. I believe that, following today’s conversation, it will be extended and that we will secure stable gas supplies,” Vucic wrote on Instagram after the call. He said Serbia would continue to benefit from a “good, low gas price of €318 ($362) per 1,000 cubic meters, instead of paying the market price, which today stands at €868.” Despite its EU membership aspirations, Serbia remains one of the few European countries to maintain close ties with the Kremlin since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Serbia also imports gas from Azerbaijan and has some domestic production, but not enough to offset the loss of Russian supplies. Belgrade is also grappling with US sanctions on its largest oil company, Petroleum Industry of Serbia (NIS), over its majority Russian ownership. A full Russian exit is required for the sanctions to be lifted, while talks on the sale of the 56-percent Russian stake to Hungarian energy giant MOL have been underway for months. Other Topics of Interest Ukrainian Drones Hit Russia’s Ilsky Oil Refinery Overnight The refinery is said to have an annual capacity of 6.6 million tons of crude and is described as one of southern Russia's major refineries. The latest US sanctions waiver expires on Sept. 30, the same deadline Washington has set for the sale to be completed. “We also discussed the issue of the Petroleum Industry of Serbia, in the hope of finding a solution that is good for both sides,” Vucic said. The call was among Vucic’s final diplomatic contacts as president. He announced he would resign on Sept. 27 to run for prime minister in snap elections called after nearly two years of student-led anti-graft protests.