The Serbian president appeared on the 'MD MEETS' podcast with Mathias Döpfner, where he discussed the war in Ukraine, relations with the EU and Kosovo, and announced the imminent production of sophisticated drones in Serbia.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić warned on Saturday, August 9, 2026, that the world is at the beginning of a much bigger war. In the "MD MEETS" podcast with Mathias Döpfner, CEO of Axel Springer, he offered pessimistic forecasts about an early end to the conflict in Ukraine and advocated for a compromise solution.
"I believe we are at the beginning of a bigger war. That's why I had hoped someone had taken action in the meantime to bring peace. That hasn't happened, and it won't happen soon, which means we are on the brink of a much, much bigger war," Vučić said. He added that he hates to say it, but he does not see an end to the conflict before next spring.
He believes that to end the war, one side needs to become strong enough and, in some way, victorious. "Otherwise, given the current stalemate, I don't see the possibility for compromise solutions," he said. According to him, no one currently wants peace; instead, everyone wishes for the defeat of the other side.
Vučić called for not waiting for the complete exhaustion of Russian forces and warned that Russia, as a nuclear power, cannot be easily defeated. "We need a compromise solution, not the defeat of any side," he stressed.
When the host mentioned Russia's threats to Europe, Vučić responded with a counter-question, suggesting that the West is also waging its own form of war: "You armed Ukraine and imposed sanctions on Russia. At the same time, you financially supported Ukraine, what is that, if not a hybrid war against Russia?" He also agreed that victim and aggressor should not be confused and that Ukraine did not start the war.
Reflecting on Serbia's path to the European Union, Vučić said he is realistic and skeptical. He recalled a meeting three or four months ago with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and French President Emmanuel Macron. He told them he supports the European path but is disappointed because a key obligation from the 2013 Brussels Agreement, the formation of the Community of Serbian Municipalities in Kosovo, has never been fulfilled.
He also highlighted the problem of double standards, recalling NATO's intervention against Serbia. "Why did you take 14 percent of Serbia's territory that was under the guarantee of the UN Charter and UN resolutions? And that happened immediately after the aggression against the Republic of Serbia carried out by 19 NATO countries, without the permission of the UN Security Council," Vučić asked, calling it the opening of Pandora's box.
Commenting on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's recent visit to Belgrade, which some have called a betrayal of the partnership with Russia, Vučić was explicit: "I'm not here to please Russians, Ukrainians, or anyone else, except Serbs." He added that he did not discuss Zelensky's visit with Russian President Vladimir Putin because he does not announce his political agenda to anyone, emphasizing that Serbia is nobody's puppet.
He also revealed that he did not discuss joint drone production with Zelensky, but confirmed that Serbia is building a drone factory with the Israelis. "The facility will be opened by the end of September. I believe these are quite sophisticated drones that only the Israelis have produced so far, and now these drones will be produced in Serbia," Vučić said.
