Aleksandar Vulin
© Milos Miskov / Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesAleksandar Vulin
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is risking his life by refusing to back Western nations on the Ukraine conflict, a senior member of his government has claimed.

Serbia, which is traditionally friendly towards Russia, has declined to impose sanctions on Moscow or support the policies of the US and Kiev's other backers. Brussels, in turn, has insisted that Belgrade's aspiration to join the EU will not be realized unless it changes course.

In an interview with Russia's RIA Novosti published on Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin said that Serbian authorities are concerned about the president's safety, following attempts on the lives of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and former US President Donald Trump.

"After the attempt on Mr. Fico, and later Trump, I told Vucic to be on guard," Vulin said, "that's because something happens to everyone calling for a peaceful resolution on Ukraine, they get shot at."

In May, Fico, a vocal critic of the Western Ukraine policy, survived a shooting by a 71-year-old man. His government blamed incendiary rhetoric by opposition politicians for motivating the shooter.

Trump, who claims he could end the Ukraine conflict in 24 hours if reelected, was grazed by a bullet during a presidential campaign rally in July. The shooter was killed by a counter-sniper. US investigators have not disclosed any suspected motive for the attempted assassination.

Vulin also criticized organizers of a mass protest which took place in Belgrade last Saturday, claiming that its ultimate goal may be to topple the Serbian government.

"As we know, [sometimes] ouster [of the national leader] means not only the change of power, but also physical elimination of the person imbued with the power," the minister said.

The demonstration, which attracted some 27,000 protesters, according to government estimates, was staged in opposition to a project to develop lithium mining, which critics claim will cause massive environmental damage.

Belgrade granted a license to extract the valuable metal to the British-Australian company Rio Tinto in 2022, but later revoked it following public pressure. The project resumed last month, however, after a Serbian court overruled the government's decision. President Vucic intends to put the issue to a referendum.

Vucic also said last week that the Russian government had warned Serbian authorities that the rally may be a cover for a 'color revolution' - a hostile foreign operation that uses anti-government demonstrations and spiraling public disorder to force regime change.