Serbian Parliament Opens Doors to Sanctioned Russian MPs

The Serbian Parliament opened the doors for three Russian deputies, sanctioned for supporting the violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity.

They arrived as a four-member delegation who visited Serbia's Assembly on April 19th. They were also hosted by Parliament Speaker Vladimir Orliq, as meetings in the Serbian government continued even 20 April.

The delegation included members of the Federation Council and the Russian Parliament's Supreme Chamber, Elena Afanasyeva, Andrei Chernysev and Vladimir Krugli. To all of them, sanctions have been imposed by the West.

Part of the delegation was Olesja Padolina. Radio Free Europe (REL) did not find its name on the list of Russian officials and citizens sanctioned.

The European Union told the REL that normal co-operation with Russia and its institutions cannot continue.

Serbia upheld Ukraine's territorial integrity, but is among the few European countries that did not impose sanctions on Russia following the invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.

In addition to the Speaker of the Parliament, Russian deputies were received by several members of the Parliamentary Friendship Group with Russia.

The Serbian Parliament and the president's office did not answer the REL-led question why they waited for the sanctioned Russian deputies. Meetings with them were not open to the media.

What do they say at the embassy in Ukraine?

The Ukraine Embassy in Serbia in a written statement to Radio Free Europe said Russian deputies, located in Belgrade, are hoping for political and economic support in Russia's illegal efforts to annex Ukraine's sovereign territory with extinguish referenda.

They are convinced that among the “condemned for serious crimes of international law” will also be representatives of the Aggressive State government, the embassy's statement said.

“Atners of the Russian Federal Assembly Federation Council of Russia delegation, who, unfortunately, still have the opportunity to visit Serbia, are currently on its territory”, the Ukraine Embassy said.

Why were they sanctioned?

Three members of Russia's Federal Assembly High Chamber, along with other Russian deputies, are on the list of EU sanctions from March 2022.

In the EU's response to Radio Free Europe, the Russian regime, including its legislative organs, is said to be responsible for launching and authorising aggression and violating Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as for war crimes.

All of this is happening under the supervision or with the approval of both Russian Dum's chambers. In addition, the two bodies -- Duma and the Federation Council -- have given their consent to the illegal annexation of Ukraine's territories by Putin” -- are said to be in response.

In September 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed documents with which Russia formally annexes four regions of Ukraine -- Luhanscu, Donjeckun, Herson, and Zaporizjan.

After that, the United States imposed additional sanctions, including Russian deputies, among whom are members of the delegation that visited Belgrade.

In the explanation of the US Finance Department of September 30th, 2022, sanctions are said to be imposed due to “the defeat of Russia's false referenda and efforts to annex Ukraine's sovereign territory”.

It was also said that in February of that year, the Russian Federation Council had unanimously approved Russian President Vladimir Putin's request for sending troops to Ukraine.

The document also stresses that members of the Federation Council adopted a law under which anyone who publishes what Russian authorities consider false information about the invasion of Ukraine, which the Kremlin calls a “special military operation”, could be imprisoned.

Three Russian deputies, who were guests of Serbia's Parliament, were sanctioned by Great Britain and Ukraine.

What are the messages of the Serbian and Russian deputies' meeting?

Serbia's Parliament Speaker Vladimir Orlic, ahead of members of the Russian delegation, reiterated official policy positions, his cabinet announced.

Elena Afanasyeva, who heads the Russian delegation, said Russia's stance on Kosovo will not change.

Russia, like Serbia, does not recognise Kosovo's independence. Belgrade also estimates on Russia's support for Kosovo at the UN Security Council.

The delegation from Moscow has also been hosted by several members of the Parliamentary Friendship Group with Russia at Serbia's Parliament.

Socialist Party of Serbia MP Igor Brownovic, who heads this friendship group, says he has 98 members and that this speaks of “the importance of interparliamentary relations” with colleagues from Russia.

Brownovic, as Serbia's Parliament announced, has thanked Russian deputies for their support for Serbia's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

He added that energy agreements, as well as economic and cultural co-operation, are very important for Serbia.

Serbia is almost entirely dependent on Russian gas, but has recently taken steps to diversify its supply sources.

Elena Afanasyeva praised that co-operation between the two parliaments could foster closer economic, cultural and educational co-operation.

Among the few members of Russia's Parliamentary Friendship Group, which met with the Russian delegation, were the MEPs of the right-wing movement, Dveri, Ivan Kostic and Borko Pushkiq.

In March, they visited Russian Duma and later expressed the opinion that the European plan was “devastating to Serbia”.

The rightist movement, Dveri, opposes the European plan for normalising relations between Serbia and Kosovo, which Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti admitted in February.

Dveri representatives were among the organisers of right-wing protests in Belgrade during March against the European plan.

Who are the sanctioned Russian deputies?

Elena Afanasyeva is a member of the Federation Council of International Affairs Committee and heads the Federation Council for Co-operation Group with Serbia's Parliament.

Afanasyeva, according to The Moscow Times, was among the authors of the law that in December 2012 imposed bans on American citizens to adopt fatherless children from Russia.

She is a member of Russia's ultra-nationalist Liberal Democratic Party. The founder and long-term chairman of this party until his death was Vladimir Girinovski.

On its official page, it is seen that after the invasion, she has also visited the Ukrainian territory of Russia.

We're in Donba today. We brought in hundreds of pounds of humanitarian aid”, and it was published on its page in March 2022.

Andrej Chernysev is a member of the Federation Council for Social Policy Board.

He has been a member of the ruling party, United Russia, which has supported the Kremlin since 2008.

He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the CSKA Football Club.

Vlader Krugli is a member of the Federation Council Committee for organising parliamentary activities. He is a member of the United Russia party.

Olesja Padolina was presented as the main adviser to the Federation Council's Directorate for International Relations during meetings in Belgrade on 19 April.