Serbia Respects Ukraine's Sovereignty but Does Not Support Sanctions Against Russia

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has maintained his stance on sanctions against Russia following a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. This was stated by Vučić at the summit of the European Political Community.

“We had an honest conversation, but the decision on sanctions is made by the people of Serbia through their leadership, and we made our decision in March 2022,” Vučić said (as quoted by Evening News). He noted that the republic “has its own policy; Serbia is an independent and sovereign country.”

The Serbian president emphasized that Ukraine “has not recognized the independence of Kosovo and respects Serbia’s territorial integrity, just as Serbia, according to the UN Charter, respects Ukraine’s sovereignty.”

On May 11, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić announced that Serbia would not impose sanctions against Russia for political, humanitarian, and moral reasons. He added that the country is already accustomed to the pressures from Western countries. According to him, representatives of the West “earn their salaries this way.”