France’s Macron to visit Serbia with a possible deal to sell French warplanes in a shift from Russia

Associated Press

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron starts a two-day state visit to Serbia, with the focus on the possible sale of 12 Rafale multi-purpose fighter jets to the country, which has maintained close ties to Russia despite its invasion of Ukraine. Macron is to meet populist President Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade on Thursday evening, when the deal reportedly worth 3 billion euros ($3.3 billion) is expected to be announced. An official in Macron’s office says the warplane talks are part of larger strategy of bringing Serbia closer to the European Union.