“The student protests are a great inspiration to me personally, and my interest lies in free and fair elections in Serbia. For that to happen, the interests of the population must be taken into account. And I believe the population recognizes that the examples of success lie in the West,” said Joe Wilson, a Republican congressman from South Carolina and sponsor of a bill on Serbia, in an interview with Insajder.
The text of the proposal criticizes the authorities in Belgrade for the backsliding of democracy and suggests suspending the US-Serbia strategic dialogue if the American side does not insist on discussions regarding free elections, the rule of law, and Russian influence in Serbia. The proposal, abbreviated as the Serbia Act, marks the first time in Donald Trump’s second term that someone from the ruling party has taken a critical view of internal developments in Serbia – representing a turn away from the Trump administration’s policy towards Belgrade so far.
Congressman Joe Wilson was not previously a well-known name in Serbia, but he has a long tenure. He has been in the US House of Representatives since 2001, and although Serbia has not previously been his main focus, he has dealt with Europe through his work on the Foreign Affairs Committee and as co-chairman of the Congressional Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission. He told Insajder that he only began examining Serbia in greater detail when it was decided that the 2027 annual session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (where Wilson serves as head of the US delegation) would be held in Belgrade instead of Charleston, South Carolina – his home state. Because of this, in mid-July, prior to the Serbia Act, Wilson submitted a draft resolution requesting that the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly session not be held in Belgrade – citing, among other reasons, Russian influence.
“I had nothing against Belgrade, but it was frustrating to me that it was suddenly moved there, so I began to follow what was happening in Serbia more seriously. And I saw an excessive influence from Russia and Vladimir Putin. I hope the people of Serbia will follow the example of Hungary and reduce or eliminate that negative influence. My interest in the region began back when I was an election observer in Bulgaria in 1990; I have visited Romania multiple times, I know how talented the people from your region are, and I want all the countries of the former Yugoslavia to be successful and Western-oriented, like Croatia and Slovenia,” says Wilson, adding that he noticed a section of the population in Serbia is “not in favour of Putin.”
“It is important that we in Congress, from both parties, promote the interests of the people of Serbia by supporting free and fair elections. And I believe the people in Serbia see the successful examples of neighbouring countries that have aligned with the West. You cannot sit on two stools. That doesn’t work,” he told Insajder.
“Trump tries to reach an agreement with everyone – even Kim Jong Un”
The primary “sticks” in this bill are sanctions and the strategic dialogue. In his proposal, Wilson points to earlier resolutions that allow the President to impose sanctions on officials who destabilise the situation in the Balkans, support malign Russian activities, undermine democratic institutions, engage in corruption, or violate human rights.
Speaking to Insajder, the Republican congressman stated that the sanctions are not aimed at anyone personally, though he did not directly answer whether he believes Donald Trump’s administration has the political will to enforce sanctions – given that it lifted them, for instance, for the former President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik.
The new “stick” proposed by Wilson is the strategic dialogue launched by the US with Serbia in July this year, which covers cooperation in energy, the military, technology, education, and space. The congressman believes it is necessary to pause this strategic dialogue if the discussions do not also encompass free and fair elections in Serbia, judicial reform, the fight against corruption, media freedom, freedom of assembly, and Serbia’s relations with Russia and China. If the State Department fails to raise these issues during negotiations, the proposal states, it should not be permitted to spend the funds authorized by Congress for its annual operations – including the strategic dialogue.
Although proposing something contrary to current executive branch policy, the congressman – who faces re-election this November and has received the backing of US President Donald Trump – refrained from openly criticizing the President’s policy or confronting him.
“I greatly appreciate Donald Trump’s business skills; he is always trying to negotiate something for mutual success. But as it turns out, you cannot get anywhere with someone like Kim Jong Un. He tried with Tehran, and even with Putin. On that same principle, he opened a dialogue with Serbia. If I could speak with him today, I would tell him it is vital for elections in Serbia to be free and fair so we can see whether the interests of the Serbian people are being respected, or whether the interests of Putin, the Chinese Communist Party, and the regime in Tehran are being realized,” Wilson added.
“Paying respects to the regime in Iran is like paying respects to Hitler”
A specific section of the legislative proposal criticizes the strengthening of Serbia’s political, economic, and security ties with Russia and China while remaining a candidate for EU membership. It states that the US has an interest in strengthening cooperation with a Serbia that is democratic, Euro-Atlantic in orientation, and free from malign foreign influence.
Although Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Belgrade and reports that Serbia supplies ammunition to Ukraine have been interpreted by some analysts and politicians as Serbia distancing itself from Russia, Wilson says he still observes strong influence from Russian President Vladimir Putin, with his primary concern remaining Russian influence in the energy market. NIS (Petroleum Industry of Serbia) has been under US sanctions for nearly a year due to its majority Russian ownership stake; while buyout negotiations continue, the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has been renewing NIS’s operating licence every month. Wilson publicly criticized this on X, calling on OFAC to cease the practice.
“And I will continue calling for that. There are so many alternatives in Europe that nobody needs to depend on Russian oil,” he said.
Wilson also publicly criticized the announced manufacturing of Chinese robots in Serbia on X – just one aspect of American concerns regarding the influence of its main economic rival in the Balkans. The US, which escalated an economic war with China during the Trump presidency, has already taken two steps against Chinese factories in Serbia. Citing forced labour allegations, the US banned imports from the Linglong tyre plant in Zrenjanin and Zijin Mining in Bor. However, China’s economic dominance is not what concerns the Republican congressman most.
“My biggest concern regarding China’s influence in Serbia is Chinese technology, particularly for communications – because it is dual-use. Beyond facilitating communication, it carries the potential for espionage, and we must be extremely cautious with it,” Wilson told Insajder.
A new topic in Washington is Serbia’s relationship with Iran. The bill criticizes the Serbian government for sending Information Minister Boris Bratina to the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an American strike at the beginning of the war in Iran.
“That is disgraceful. Ayatollah Khamenei was a dictator who ordered the killing of American soldiers; the regime in Iran supports terrorists – Hamas, who blow people up in Israel, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen – and oppresses its own population. We managed to build great unity in the Middle East to fight against that regime, and then Serbia shows up to pay its respects? That is like paying respects to Hitler! In my view, that is wrong,” the congressman said in his interview with Insajder.
What is the next step for the Serbia Act?
Joe Wilson explained to Insajder that it is very significant that his proposal was co-sponsored by William Keating, a congressman from the opposition Democratic Party and author of the Western Balkans Democracy and Prosperity Act passed late last year.
“In the legislative process, we usually try to make proposals bipartisan. It doesn’t always work out, but here it did, and that is a good sign. From here, we seek support from other members of Congress and will then request meetings with State Department representatives,” the Republican congressman concluded.
So far, the bill has been endorsed by another Republican, Congressman Keith Self from Texas, who chairs the Subcommittee on Europe within the House Foreign Affairs Committee. If the proposed legislation gains sufficient support to pass in the House of Representatives, it will head to the Senate, and if passed there as well, it goes to the White House. The legislation only takes effect once signed by the President of the United States.
(Insajder, 03.09.2026)
https://insajder.net/vesti/americki-kongresmen-za-insajder-o-predlogu-zakona-o-srbiji-podrzavamo-slobodne-izbore-ne-mozete-sedeti-na-dve-stolice
