The conservative opposition Dveri Movement staged a protest over Serbia’s vote in favor of a UN resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Thursday.

“What happened in the UN is a precedent in Serbia’s foreign policy which the authorities have to bear responsibility for, starting from President Aleksandar Vucic, Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic and Ambassador to the UN Nemanja Stefanovic,” Dveri officials told a news conference in front of the Russian Embassy in Belgrade.

The other two rightist political organisations also blasted Serbia’s vote in the UN.

The ‘Zavetnici’ party leader, Milica Djurdjevic Stamenkovski, said she was concerned about “the state leadership taking side with NATO in condemning its old friend Russia.”

Presidential candidate of the ‘Hope for Serbia’ election coalition, Milos Jovanovic, said that “by its vote at the UN General Assembly meeting on Wednesday Serbia embarrassed and stained itself.”

Dveri deputy leader Ivan Kostic said that Serbia “has openly placed itself in the service of the Western powers that launched anti-Russian hysteria across the world which will have unforeseeable consequences for the citizens of Serbia”. He called for the immediate dismissal of Selakovic and Stevanovic.

Kostic also read a letter to Russian Ambassador Alexander Botsan Harchenko which said that Dveri apologized for the vote on behalf of the entire Serb nation.