Aleksandr Botsan-Kharchenko: Pressure on Serbia is incredible

Photo: Tanjug/Sava Radovanovic

Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Serbia Aleksandr Botsan-Kharchenko said today that pressure on Serbia is incredible, but that President Aleksandar Vucic is consistent in his position and the position of the entire Serbian leadership not to join anti-Russia sanctions regardless of the pressure.

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"Pressure is incredible, but Serbia respects its own interest above all, either on the European path or on the path of developing relations with Russia. Of course it thinks of its national interest," the Russian ambassador told RTS.

Speaking about Russia's goals in Ukraine, Botsan-Kharchenko said that they have remained the same since the beginning of the Russian military operation in that country.

"President Vladimir Putin has not given up on any of the goals he set at the beginning of the special military operation - protection of citizens and the population in Donbass and providing security and safety for them. The two other goals are denazification and demilitarization of Ukraine. That set of goals remains," said Botsan-Kharchenko.

He added that the aim is to reduce the losses among soldiers and the population of Donbass as much as possible.

Asked about the impact of sanctions on the Russian economy and the fact that European countries are looking for an alternative to Russian energy, the Russian ambassador said that Russia is once again at a good level of development.

"We have more partners with whom we are cooperating more intensely now, so compensation can be made in every branch of the Russian economy, if Europe does not want it," said Botsan-Kharchenko.

He believes that European countries giving up Russian energy is a consequence of pressure from the United States, which he said wants to create best conditions for US companies in Europe.

Commenting on the fact that more than 1,000 Russian companies have been registered in Serbia since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, and that Russian citizens are immigrating to our country, Botsan-Kharchenko stressed that there are attempts in Europe to make false assessments of that situation.

"They are trying to present it as disagreement with the special military operation in Ukraine. There are, of course, such people, but they are individuals, because most people in Russia express their full support. Some are coming for business, family reasons," said Botsan-Kharchenko.

(Telegraf.rs)