Russia's attitude does not change: We do not recognise Kosovo, we support Belgrade

“We do not know Kosovo. We actively support Belgrade, at international forums, especially at the UN Security Council. Everything about the alleged changes in Russia's position has been invented, with the aim of breaking Moscow-Belgrade relations, and in order for Serbia to join anti-Russian measures”, Kharchenko told the Serbian newspaper Politika.

On April 26th, Russian President Vladimir Putin has compared Kosovo to the two separatist regions in Ukraine, Donjeckun and Luhanscu, jointly known as Donbas. Russia, like Serbia, does not recognise Kosovo's independence.

Following Putin's statement, Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq, has said his country is under “increased pressure” to recognise Kosovo's independence.

Vuciq has said that the situation in Serbia has “changed for the worse” after Russia's president's statements and that the whole West will ask Serbia to move towards recognising Kosovo's independence, so Putin says Kosovo and Donbas are not the same.

Authorities in Serbia, despite calls from the West, refuse to impose sanctions on Russia because of Ukraine's invasion.

Russian Ambassador to Belgrade said pressures on Serbia are unbelievable “” and “brutal”.

“We understand the extraordinary Western pressure on Belgrade and the difficult situation in which Serbia is located. And, of course, we highly appreciate the principled line that [Serbia] holds, refusing to accept anti-Russian sanctions”, Kharchenko said.

Since Russia has begun its unprovocational invasion of Ukraine on February 24th, the West has undertaken a series of severe, economic and diplomatic sanctions against Russia.

Western Balkan countries have joined them, except for Serbia. / REL