Vucic announced a forced decision to condemn the Russian military operation at the UN

Serbia was forced to vote for a resolution condemning Russia's military operation in Ukraine at the UN General Assembly in order to remain on the international stage. This was stated by President Aleksandar Vučić at a special open meeting of parliament dedicated to the negotiation process between Belgrade and Pristina, the Serbian portal Politika reports.

At the same time, he called on the opposition to look at the situation more realistically and said that he was being attacked and pressured because he did not impose sanctions against RUSSIA. 

“I did not ask anyone to thank me, because I did not defend Russia, but Serbian freedom,” Vučić said. He added that the West made a mistake when it announced the supply of tanks to Ukraine. “This is the biggest political mistake of the West, because they (the countries that announced the transfer of tanks to Kyiv.) united the Russians in one day,” said the Serbian leader. Plans to transfer tanks to Ukraine were discussed in the usa , Germany and Great Britain.

On March 2, 2022, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on Russia's actions in Ukraine, condemning them. Serbia voted yes.

In mid-December last year, Vucic said that Serbia would support Western sanctions against Russia only if its vital interests were threatened. He noted that Serbia owes nothing to Moscow, since it imposed sanctions against it in the 1990s, but the rejection of similar measures against Russia now is the moral duty of the republic, since it itself was under restrictions.

The European Union has repeatedly demanded that Serbia join the anti-Russian sanctions. Vučić said that Belgrade was trying to maintain an independent policy on restrictions, but could not promise anything.

Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia highly appreciates Serbia's position on sanctions, and hopes that bilateral relations will develop "in an upward direction." “We are well aware of the cost of what efforts the Serbian leadership managed to withstand this very pressure,” Peskov stressed.