Speaking after an emergency session of Serbia’s National Security Council on Sunday, President Aleksandar Vučić delivered a stark assessment of the current global system: “The international legal order and the UN Charter no longer function at all.”

This blunt declaration marks a significant shift in Serbia’s diplomatic rhetoric and reflects growing disillusionment among non-aligned and Global South nations with the efficacy of multilateral institutions. Vučić argued that the Venezuela operation—justified by Washington as a “counter-narcotics mission”—exposes a brutal reality: “In today’s world, the only rule is the law of the strongest.” He added, “Whoever is stronger exerts pressure—that is the only principle of contemporary politics.”