The US demanded Russia's complete withdrawal from Serbia's oil company.

The United States is demanding Russia's complete withdrawal from Serbia's state-owned oil company (Naftna Industrija Srbije, NIS) to lift sanctions, said Dubravka Djedović-Handanović, Serbia's Minister of Mining and Energy, as quoted by Vreme.

"At the request of NIS lawyers, who approached the US government and proposed a management contract for NIS, the US administration for the first time clearly and unequivocally stated that it wants a complete change of ownership to Russian shareholders, meaning it demands the exit of Russian capital from NIS," she said.

As of September 2025, Gazprom Neft is the majority shareholder of NIS, owning 44.85% of the shares. The Serbian government owns 29.87%, and St. Petersburg-based Intelligence (managed by Gazprom Capital) owns another 11.30%. The remaining stake is held by minority shareholders.

The minister noted that the “bad news” is that “we don’t have a single day when NIS can continue to operate.”

"You understand that a change of ownership in seven to eight days is impossible. Approval was received for ownership negotiations, valid until February 13, but not for the continued operation of NIS and the refinery," explained Djedović-Handanović.

According to her, the government will have to make "difficult decisions": "Should we take over the company and then assess and compensate for the damage?" In the coming days, "some of the most difficult decisions in the history" of the country are expected, she emphasized. In early October, Serbian President AleksandarVučić said that Washington would agree to defer sanctions against NIS only on the condition of nationalization, but he ruled out such a step.

An extraordinary government meeting with Vučić is scheduled for Sunday, November 16, at 11:00 a.m. (1:00 p.m. Moscow time), the publication clarifies.

Serbian Assembly Member Bojan Torbica, from the Movement of Socialists (founded by former Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr Vulin), told RBC on the sidelines of the BRICS-Europe symposium in Sochi that American sanctions against NIS, despite US claims, affect Serbia, not RUSSIA, and "represent the West's response to Serbia and the Serbian people" for failing to impose restrictions on Moscow. He asserted that Russia is more than just an energy and economic partner for the Serbs; it is a "friend and ally" that has "always been on the side of the Serbian state and people." Therefore, Torbica explained, the republic "cannot and does not want" to abandon it. "Anything related to the fate of NIS and the energy agreement should not be undertaken without the consent of the Russian Federation," he asserted. The second international symposium "BRICS – Europe" is being held by the United Russia party and the international movement "The Other Ukraine" together with the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

US sanctions against the Serbian company took effect last month. Washington announced restrictions on NIS back in early January of this year, when Joe Biden was president , demanding that Belgrade completely disengage from Russian participation, but has since postponed them several times.

This week, Djedović-Handanović reported that NIS's Russian owners had notified the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of their willingness to transfer control of the company to a third party. Croatian authorities have expressed their willingness to acquire NIS .

Following a meeting with Russian Deputy Energy Minister Pavel Sorokin and Gazprom Neft CEO Alexander Dyukov amid sanctions against NIS, the Serbian leader stated: "Our Russian friends have understood our message. We understand their interests, and we will do everything necessary, both tactically and strategically."

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