Serbia Grants Citizenship to Russians Under US and Ukrainian Sanctions, Investigation Reveals

A recent investigation by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has uncovered that Serbia has been issuing passports to Russian citizens who are currently under international sanctions imposed by the United States and Ukraine. According to the report, during the first five months of 2026, Serbia granted citizenship to 44 Russian nationals, raising serious questions about the Balkan nation’s commitment to Western alignment and its relationship with Moscow amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.

The revelation comes at a particularly sensitive time in European politics, as the continent continues to grapple with the consequences of Russia’s actions in Ukraine. Serbia, a candidate for European Union membership since 2012, has consistently refused to join Western sanctions against Russia despite significant pressure from Brussels and Washington. This latest development suggests that Belgrade may be going even further by actively providing travel documents to individuals specifically targeted by Western punitive measures, potentially offering them a pathway to circumvent international restrictions.

Serbia’s unique position in European geopolitics has long made it a subject of international scrutiny. The country maintains close historical, cultural, and religious ties with Russia, rooted in shared Orthodox Christian heritage and Slavic linguistic connections dating back centuries. These bonds were strengthened during the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s when Russia supported Serbia diplomatically, and again during the 2008 Kosovo independence declaration, which Russia continues to oppose at the United Nations. President Aleksandar Vučić has repeatedly stated his intention to maintain friendly relations with both the European Union and Russia, pursuing what his government describes as a balanced foreign policy approach.

The practice of granting citizenship to wealthy or influential foreigners is not unique to Serbia. Many countries operate so-called “golden passport” programs that offer citizenship in exchange for significant investments or other contributions to the national economy. However, the specific targeting of sanctioned individuals represents a different category of concern for Western governments. Sanctions are designed to isolate individuals deemed responsible for human rights violations, corruption, or threats to international security, and providing them with alternative travel documents effectively undermines these measures.

International sanctions experts have noted that this situation creates significant complications for the global sanctions regime. When sanctioned individuals obtain citizenship from countries that do not recognize or enforce Western restrictions, they gain the ability to travel more freely, access international banking systems, and conduct business that would otherwise be prohibited. This phenomenon, sometimes called “sanctions shopping,” has become an increasing concern for policymakers in Washington and Brussels who are working to close such loopholes. Serbia’s EU candidate status makes this situation particularly awkward, as membership negotiations typically require alignment with the bloc’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, including sanctions regimes.

The Serbian government has not yet issued an official response to the investigation’s findings. However, Belgrade has previously defended its sovereign right to determine its own citizenship policies and has rejected calls to automatically adopt EU sanctions against Russia. Serbian officials have argued that implementing such measures would harm their own economy, particularly in the energy sector where the country remains heavily dependent on Russian gas imports. Critics counter that Serbia cannot expect to join the European Union while actively working against the bloc’s foreign policy objectives and potentially harboring individuals that Western governments consider threats to international order.

The situation highlights the broader challenges facing the Western sanctions architecture in an increasingly multipolar world. As more countries seek to maintain relationships with both Western powers and Russia or China, the effectiveness of sanctions as a foreign policy tool may be diminishing. For Serbia specifically, the citizenship grants to sanctioned Russians could complicate its EU accession process and strain relations with the United States, which has been increasingly vocal about expecting greater alignment from countries seeking closer ties with Western institutions. The coming months will likely see intensified diplomatic discussions between Belgrade, Brussels, and Washington regarding Serbia’s obligations as an EU candidate and the consequences of its continued close relationship with Moscow.