Serbia condemns Russia’s attack on Ukraine and is therefore not politically neutral in this regard, said Serbian Foreign Affairs Minister Ivica Dacic.

“We voted in favor of all the resolutions in the United Nations and other international organization condemning the violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity,” Dacic told Voice of America.

Dacic, who is currently in New York as a member of the Serbian delegation attending the 78th United Nations General Assembly session, stressed that the issue of territorial integrity and sovereignty has become an important topic in international relations.

“Then we wonder if this also applies to us, it obviously doesn’t. And then you realize that there are double standards,” said Dacic.

Asked how Serbia’s neutrality could affect its membership in the European Union (EU), Dacic said accession to the EU is, without a doubt, Serbia’s foreign policy priority.

“There are double standards there, Serbia has minimal economic cooperation with the Russian Federation, unlike those who have introduced sanctions against it, and their economic cooperation with Russia keeps growing,” said Dacic.

The Minister said he has not discussed with Western officials Serbia’s repeated refusal to align with the measures against Russia.

“That goes directly against our state and national interests,” said Dacic, adding that the assessments that the West is too lenient toward Serbia are “an insolent way of thinking.”

“It’s downright cynicism, when you violate someone’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and tell them – what do we care about your territorial integrity, you have to do this and that, which will damage our relations with the countries that support us,” Dacic explained.

The ones saying this have not promised to prevent the efforts for Kosovo to join international organizations.

I therefore fail to see in what way the international community is lenient toward Serbia, said Dacic.