Serbia could improve its image in the West by imposing sanctions against Russia, but this would not take the demand to formally recognize Kosovo off the agenda, President Aleksandar Vucic told Sputnik Serbia.
"But would that [sanctions against Russia] help us keep Kosovo? No. They would praise us for about fifteen days and then they would say they were ready to take Serbia [into the European Union], with only one small thing left to settle — to renounce Kosovo and agree with its admission to the UN," Vucic said.
He added that Serbia was the only country that had refused to introduce sanctions against Russia.
"You have no idea what it looks like. It is not a matter of personal relationships ... But then your country does not get this and that, and that, too. We are already facing this at various levels related to the situation in Kosovo. Because they are in a hurry to resolve the situation in Kosovo and reduce all our issues to Kosovo. All this is supported by those who are anti-Russian and have grievances against Serbia. Starting with the Baltic states and so on," the Serbian leader said.
Belgrade found itself in a difficult situation given its traditionally friendly relations with Moscow and demonstrated its ability to "pursue an independent policy under great pressure and in the hardest conditions," Vucic added.
After Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022, the European Union, together with the United States and other countries, imposed unprecedented sanctions against Moscow, including a $60 price cap on oil, seized and confiscated the property of Russian citizens, and also imposed an embargo on hundreds of products.
At the same time, Serbia and other countries announced their refusal to succumb to pressure from their European and American partners and join the sanctions, citing the protection of national interests and the desire to maintain good relations with Moscow.