Yesterday, Serbia joined a Ukrainian-led platform on the reintegration of Crimea, signaling a move away from Russia, its historic ally and sole supplier of natural gas.
The move followed a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vučić in Athens, which both leaders described as good and open.
In an online address to the forum, Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić said that Serbia "sincerely regrets the suffering of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people".
She stressed "commitment to adherence to the principles of international law, territorial integrity and political independence of states", adding that "we sincerely sympathize with the Ukrainian people and Ukraine, who are true friends of Serbia".
The Platform for Crimea was launched by Zelensky in 2021 with the aim of reintegrating Crimea, which was annexed to Russia in 2014.
A total of 67 countries and organizations, including the US, UK, NATO and the European Union, have joined the platform since then.
Serbia has repeatedly condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine in the United Nations and other international forums, but so far has not imposed sanctions on Moscow, Reuters reminds.
Ukraine does not recognize Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008. On the other hand, Belgrade does not recognize the annexation of Crimea by Russia and the parts of Ukraine occupied by Russia.
In April, Pentagon documents were leaked that showed that Serbia agreed to deliver weapons and ammunition to Kiev, or to send them to Ukraine. Vučić claims that Serbia has never sold weapons or ammunition to Ukraine or Russia, although it is possible that Serbian weapons came to the front via third countries.
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