Serbia and Ukraine share the same European values, but Ukraine wants more Serbian support, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Oleg Nikolenko, said in Kyiv on Saturday.
“Serbia wants to join the European Union (EU), and I believe we share the same European values. Yet we expect more from Serbia when it comes to supporting Ukraine. That includes clearly condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine and joining the EU’s sanctions, as well as sending military assistance, which we have asked other states to do as well,” Nikolenko told Serbian reporters in Kyiv.
The spokesman also said that there had been no direct contact between the two foreign ministers, Nikola Selakovic and Dmytro Kuleba, but that the Ukrainian ambassador to Serbia, Volodimir Tokac, was actively dealing with the matter.
Nikolenko underlined that Russia was attacking Ukraine with tanks and Europe with propaganda, which was why the Ukrainian authorities were trying hard to warn the West about the current challenges and dangers and also explain why it was necessary to reduce dependence on Russian gas.
Serbia, an EU membership hopeful has so far not enforced EU sanctions on Russia, something it is expected to do. It has also been hesitant in condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine and recently sent its foreign minister to Moscow to meet with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
It has been widely criticised both within the EU and on its fringes for its stance, likely due to its dependence on Russian gas and close cultural and historical ties with Moscow.
