The Embassy of Ukraine in Belgrade told Radio Free Europe (RSE) that they are "deeply disappointed" with the way Serbia continuously votes in relation to Crimea and that such a vote contradicts Serbia's position to respect the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
This comment came after Serbia voted for the second time against the United Nations (UN) resolution on Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014.
Namely, on Monday evening, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution that "condemns the Russian occupation of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol and demands the withdrawal of Russian military forces without delay."
The Ukrainian side takes into account the declared position of Serbia, which respects the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, it is stated in a written statement to RSE, but it is said that at the same time it is deeply disappointed by Serbia's constant vote against international documents concerning the protection of the territorial integrity of Ukraine, especially in connection with Crimea.
Also, the Embassy announced that it calls on Serbian diplomats to consistently adhere to the position of respecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, including Crimea.
Why does Serbia not support the resolutions on Crimea?
RSE asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia for an explanation as to why Serbia did not support this resolution if it supports the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, but they did not receive an answer until the conclusion of this article.
The Embassy of Ukraine states that the resolutions of the General Assembly of the United Nations are an important factor in Ukraine's efforts with the aim, as announced, of "the de-occupation of the currently occupied territories, as well as the restoration of security and stability in the area of the Black and Azov Seas".
63 countries voted for the resolution expressing "serious concern about the progressive militarization of Crimea by the Russian Federation as an occupying power", while 19 were against.
Apart from Serbia, among the countries that voted against were China, Belarus, Sudan, Syria, Myanmar...
This is not the first time that Serbia has stood by Russia on the issue of Crimea, and as the only country in the Western Balkans.
Belgrade voted against the resolutions of the UN General Assembly on the state of human rights in Crimea and Sevastopol in 2017 and 2018.
Those resolutions strongly condemn the violation of human rights on the Ukrainian peninsula, while citing Russia as an "occupying power".
Unlike Security Council resolutions, General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, although they reflect the opinion of the international community.
"I think that this policy fully embodies our aspiration to sit on two, and with the appearance of some other actors in the field of international relations, now on more chairs," Stefan Vladisavljev, program assistant at the non-governmental Belgrade Fund for Political exceptionality (BFPI).
He explains that due to its relationship with Kosovo, Serbia will not be in favor of the annexation of Crimea, but that due to its close relations with Russia, it will not even oppose that annexation.
"Probably, Serbia's definitive position towards Crimea will be defined by the further development of relations between Belgrade and Pristina," Vladisavljev assesses.
Serbia is counting on Russia's support over Kosovo
The dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, which should lead to a legally binding agreement on the normalization of relations, was interrupted a year ago when Pristina introduced 100 percent taxes on goods from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).
Belgrade insists on the abolition of those taxes as a condition for continuing the dialogue, and in the meantime parliamentary elections were held in Kosovo, so the formation of a new government is expected.
Serbia is counting on Russia's support in international organizations for its position on refusing to recognize Kosovo's independence, and Belgrade does not recognize Crimea as part of Russia because, as Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has repeatedly explained, "it would mean support for Kosovo's independence."
"If we were to do that today, they could make an analogy with Kosovo. They would say that by the same principle Kosovo is also independent, and that we no longer have the right to fight for it," Vučić told Russia 24 television in March. this year.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, and Belgrade does not recognize the independence of its former southern province.
Belgrade has repeatedly said that Serbia respects the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.
"Just as Ukraine supports the territorial integrity of the Republic of Serbia, Serbia supports the territorial integrity of Ukraine," Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said in July 2018 during the visit of then Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to Belgrade.
Ukraine did not recognize Kosovo because it takes the position, as Poroshenko said at the time, that the Kosovo problem should be solved by compromise while respecting Serbia's interests.
Inconsistency of Serbia's foreign policy with the EU
However, although it does not recognize Crimea as part of Russian territory, Belgrade, due to its political, economic and traditional ties with Russia, does not join the sanctions imposed by Western countries on Russia due to the annexation of Crimea.
The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, has also repeatedly said that Serbia will not impose sanctions on Russia.
"Serbia is on the European path, but when it says that it will not introduce sanctions against the Russian Federation, it means that it will not introduce them. When it says that it will not join NATO and that it is militarily neutral, they know that this is what it means," Vučić said in Moscow in May 2018. . on the eve of the meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Stefan Vladisavljev believes that this policy can lead Serbia not only to an unenviable position in the eyes of Western countries, but also in the further process of European integration.
"Due to the fact that in the further process of negotiations with the European Union, it will be necessary to harmonize all foreign policy decisions made by the EU. At the moment, our rate of compliance is quite low, the lowest of all countries in the region, because we still have not adopted foreign policy declarations related to to sanctions against Russia, but also some other decisions that to a certain extent condemn Russia's actions in the field of international relations," states Vladisavlyev.
According to the research of the non-governmental organization ISAC Fund, Serbia, as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina, did not support any of the 12 Declarations of the European Union that are directly related to Russia.
For example, North Macedonia supported five, while Montenegro and Albania agreed with all 12.
Overall compliance in the area of Serbia's common foreign, security and defense policy with the European Union is reflected in the fact that out of a total of 54 foreign policy declarations in 2018 with which partner states were asked to comply, Serbia complied with only 28.
Western sanctions against Russia due to Crimea
Due to the annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in 2014, the EU and the United States of America imposed economic sanctions on Russia, which came into force the same year.
The EU considers the annexation of Crimea a violation of international law.
EU sanctions are expected to last until the full implementation of the Minsk Agreement signed in September 2014 by Ukraine and pro-Russian rebels in the Belarusian capital.
The agreement contains 14 points concerning the monitoring of the ceasefire, the exchange of prisoners and other issues.
After three years of deadlock in negotiations between Russia and Ukraine at the highest level, Russian and Ukrainian presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky met in Paris on December 9, as part of a summit attended by the leaders of France and Germany - Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel.
Putin and Zelensky agreed to establish a truce by the end of 2019.
Russia seized Crimea in March 2014 after sending troops, seizing key facilities and maintaining a referendum that was considered illegitimate by at least 100 states of the United Nations.
The referendum was held on March 16, 2014, and the day after it was held, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree recognizing Crimea as an independent republic.
More than 2014 people have died in the conflicts in Ukraine since 13.000.
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