The US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, James O’Brien, stated that Serbia’s oil supply will remain unaffected despite US sanctions imposed on Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS). He emphasized that these sanctions are directed at Russia, not Serbia. Pročitaj više

“We have imposed sanctions on numerous Russian companies worldwide, ensuring that buyers are not impacted during the transition period. It’s important to note that these are sanctions against Russia,” O’Brien said in an interview with Kurir Television, also reported in the daily newspaper of the same media group.

O’Brien clarified that over 300 Russian energy and financial entities have been targeted by sanctions, including one Serbian company. “The goal of the sanctions is to reduce the flow of money to Russia, as they use these funds to kill women, children, and civilians in Ukraine,” he said, adding that similar sanctions have affected dozens of countries.

The US official revealed that his team has already held talks with Scandinavian countries to examine the implications of these sanctions. He assured that discussions with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and the Serbian government have focused on removing Russian ownership from the oil refinery in compliance with international law, ensuring no disruption in Serbia’s oil supply.

“Russia acquired NIS for a very small amount, extracting billions of euros from Serbia over the years. Now your country will have the opportunity to run this industry for the benefit of the Serbian people,” O’Brien noted.

He further stressed that the US is not pushing for a specific owner or company to take over. “That decision will be made by Serbia, allowing a much healthier ownership structure for this strategically vital part of the infrastructure,” he concluded.