IN THIS EPISODE
Serbia’s energy lifeline is now under US sanctions after 8 months of postponements. Washington has targeted NIS, Serbia’s main oil company, majority-owned by Russia’s Gazprom Neft, striking at the core of Belgrade’s energy system and its fragile balance between Moscow and Brussels.
With 80% of Serbia’s fuel supply flowing through NIS, the sanctions raise urgent questions:
- Will Russia sell its stake in Serbia’s oil giant?
- Could Western or regional buyers step in?
- And how will this reshape Belgrade’s geopolitical balancing act between East and West?
In this episode of #BalkansDebrief, Ilva Tare, Europe Center Senior Fellow, speaks with Dr. Igor Novaković, Senior Associate at the International and Security Affairs Centre, ISAC Fund, to unpack what these sanctions mean for Serbia’s energy security, its economy, and its future in Europe’s political orbit.
From the refinery to the corridors of Brussels and Moscow, this is a story about power, dependency, and the price of neutrality in a region caught between competing global interests.
ABOUT #BALKANSDEBRIEF
#BalkansDebrief is an online interview series presented by the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center and hosted by journalist Ilva Tare. The program offers a fresh look at the Western Balkans and examines the region’s people, culture, challenges, and opportunities.
Watch #BalkansDebrief on YouTube and listen to it as a Podcast.
MEET THE #BALKANSDEBRIEF HOST
The Europe Center promotes leadership, strategies, and analysis to ensure a strong, ambitious, and forward-looking transatlantic relationship.
