DM pick "damping hopes Serbia might shift away from Russia"

Serbia's future prime minister on Tuesday proposed "a staunchly pro-Russia official (Aleksandar Vulin)" as the defense minister, Beta is reporting, quoting AP.

Source: Beta
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Aleksandadr Vulin (Tanjug, file)
Aleksandadr Vulin (Tanjug, file)

According to the article the US agency published under the headline, "Openly gay Serbia premier-designate to head pro-Russia government" - this is "damping hopes in the West that Brnabic's nomination signaled a shift away from Moscow's influence."

Citing RTS, the report said that a list of cabinet ministers submitted by the PM-designate to the National Assembly includes Vulin, described as "a former" labor minister to head the Defense Ministry, and also several other "openly pro-Russian and anti-Western" officials, including Foreign Minister and First Deputy PM Ivica Dacic.

"When Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic earlier this month nominated the US and UK-educated Brnabic to succeed him as prime minister, it was seen as his attempt to calm Western concerns that Serbia was getting too close to Russia despite its proclaimed goal of joining the European Union," AP writes, noting that Brnabic will be the first woman, and the first openly gay person to head Serbia's government.

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