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40 I Southeast Europe bne August 2024
Egypt and Serbia add their voices to the growing number of calls to end the fighting in Ukraine
Ben Aris in Berlin
The calls for a ceasefire in Ukraine continue as Egypt and Serbia add their voices to the growing number of calls to end the fighting in Ukraine.
As bne IntelliNews reported, Ukraine is inching towards a ceasefire as pressure grows on Kyiv. The governments
of Egypt and Serbia called for a resolution to the Ukraine crisis “as soon as possible,” Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said at a joint
news conference with his Serbian counterpart, Aleksandar Vucic, who is visiting the Egyptian capital, on July 13.
"In terms of international issues, our discussions dwelled on various aspects, first of all the Ukraine crisis," el-Sisi told
www.bne.eu
reporters. "We emphasised the need to reach peace as soon as possible,"
he added.
Egypt has emerged as one of Russia’s strongest supporters in Africa. El-Sisi was a guest of honour at the 2023 St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), where he co-hosted the plenary session with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Egypt has turned to Russia to supply it with grain and nuclear power technology, amongst other things.
Serbian President Aleksander Vucic is also a close Russian ally, despite the country’s concurrent bid to join the EU. Belgrade has refused to impose sanctions on Russia and continues to
import significant amounts of Russian gas to power its economy.
Nevertheless, the Financial Times revealed that Serbia has indirectly provided Ukraine with armaments worth €800mn, which came as a surprise. Serbia reportedly sent arms to Ukraine with the Kremlin’s knowledge and commentators in Moscow failed to condemn Vucic.
The end of the Ukrainian conflict is impossible at the moment, even by means of using China’s latest initiative, Vucic said in a frank interview in July.
"I don't see a scenario of ending the war in Ukraine for now. I have studied the Chinese initiative. It is good. It is really good. I welcome this six-point proposal.
