Serbia is a Russian ally and will never impose sanctions against Moscow or join NATO, the Balkan nation's deputy prime minister said Wednesday as he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The remarks by Aleksandar Vulin , a former intelligence chief who is under U.S. sanctions, reflect persistent close relations between Belgrade and Moscow despite Serbia's proclaimed bid to join the European Union.
"It's a great honor for me to have the privilege to talk to you," Vulin told Putin. "Please believe me when I say it is a great encouragement for all Serbs, wherever they may live."
Serbia has refused to join Western sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine though it has condemned Moscow's aggression. Populist President Aleksandar Vucic has said that imposing the sanctions wasn't in Serbia's national interest.
"Serbia is not only a strategic partner of Russia, Serbia is also Russia's ally," Vulin said. "This is why pressure on us by the West is huge."
