Reagon DAS for the dachiq-Lavrov meeting: Putin not to offer platforms to promote aggression

We do not believe that any country should offer Putin a platform to promote or justify the ongoing fight against Ukraine”, A State Department spokesman told Free Europe.

Ivica Dacic has travelled to Moscow at Lavrov's invitation to attend the friendly match between the football teams of Serbia and Russia.

Serbia is the first European national to play in Russia since the beginning of the Ukraine invasion.

Official Belgrade has not respected European Union sanctions since February 2022, when Russia sent troops to Ukraine and authorities in Serbia have not interrupted contact with the Kremlin.

The current chief of diplomacy in Serbia, Ivica Dacic, publicly advocates the position that Serbia will not impose sanctions on Russia according to European Union requirements.

After the meeting, he said in a statement to Serbian journalists that maintaining relations with Russia and China is a vital “state interest” for Serbia.

Dacic has thanked Russia for its firm attitude and support towards Serbia when it comes to territorial integrity and sovereignty and the Kosovo issue.

For us it is vital to know that we have a safe voice at the Security Council”, Dacic told reporters from Serbia in a statement.

Official Belgrade accounts for the support of Russia and China in international organisations and institutions for not recognising Kosovo as a state.

Serbia does not recognise Kosovo's independence, but is developing a dialogue with Pristina on normalising relations under the auspices of the EU, which must result in a legally binding agreement.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said ahead of the meeting that Russia is interested in “preventing new crises” in the Balkans.

As it adds, Lavrov has told Daciqi he wants to hear from him an assessment of the situation in the Balkans, which he has praised as “serious”>>