If foreign diplomats think it is time to arrogantly exert pressure on our country, they have chosen the wrong moment, said Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in response to Ukrainian Ambassador to Belgrade Volodymyr Tolkach’s statement for N1 that Kiev is finding it increasingly difficult to understand Serbia’s arguments against imposing sanctions on Russia.
“We will not allow even those who are much stronger to do this. We have done nothing bad against Ukraine,” Vucic told the media, adding that Serbia has not recognized the annexation of Ukrainian regions or the referendums held by Russia.
The Serbian President said he does not remember that Ukraine went out of its way in 1999 to help Yugoslavia or to suspend flights from Kiev to the countries that bombed former Yugoslavia.
“They can lecture someone else. I don’t have a problem with that,” said Vucic, adding that Serbia’s situation is “clean” and that no one can put pressure on it or tell it what to do.
“Dozens of Serb boys and girls were killed in the NATO bombing. I don’t remember any Ukrainian request for a special UN Security Council session or for the imposing of sanctions on the aggressors on Serbia. It is not late for Ukraine and all other countries requesting war crimes trials for the Ukraine-Russia conflict to ask that the murderers of Serbian children in the NATO aggression be tried, there is not statute of limitations for war crimes, here’s a chance to show that someone is principled,” said Serbian Minister of Internal Affairs in response to Tolkach’s statement.
The Serbian President noted that there can be many different interpretations, but that facts cannot be erased.
“I am asking for an explanation, on the basis of what international legal act was the aggression on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia carried out, in line with what UN Security Council decision, and in line with whose decision do you have the right to refuse to recognize Resolution 1244, which we honor, just as we honor the UN Charter and, therefore, Ukraine’s territorial integrity as well,” said Vucic.
