UKRAINE WAR ECHOING IN SERBIA – A BIRTHPLACE OF THE NEW NATIONAL POLICY OF SERBIAN LIBERALS

Russian aggression on Ukraine resonates globally as an unprecedented attack on the international constellation, law and order, a pure medieval war of conquest on the neighboring country, and a denial of its sovereign rights to make its own choices on the political establishment, directions of national development, and international alliances. However, in Serbia it is echoing differently. Serbia was the only country to see not only government backing for the Russian side, as few other countries did, but also massive rallies in support of the Russian aggression, killing civilians and ruining Ukraine’s cities and infrastructures. We will discuss how this happened and how the very fabric of Serbian nationalism paved the way for this massive loss of the sense of justice, humanism, and solidarity. At the same time, from the very first days of the aggression, a small group of people has shown loud and courageous support for Ukraine and its refugees in Serbia, often being smeared by government officials, state-controlled media, and angry mobs on the streets. This is considered to be the birthplace and the cradle of the new liberal political idea in Serbia, a fully innovative approach to the defeated 19th-century concept of Serbian national interest, and in particular, a brand new approach to the long-standing painful relations with Kosovo. The foundations of this new policy will be outlined.