Serbian leader says West spent billions trying to overthrow him

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has accused Western powers of trying to orchestrate his overthrow. In an interview on Pink TV broadcast on Monday, Vucic said “foreign powers” have spent around €3 billion ($3.1 billion) over the past decade trying to oust him from power.

Vucic’s remarks follow weeks of student-led anti-government protests over alleged corruption and negligence. The protests were initially triggered by the deadly collapse of a concrete canopy at the Novi Sad railway station last November following extensive renovations.

The incident, which claimed 15 lives, led to public outrage throughout the country. Vucic earlier blamed “foreign instructors” promoting Western, Croatian, and Albanian interests for the unrest, accusing them of attempting to launch a color revolution in Serbia.

In his latest interview, Vucic reiterated these…