MOSCOW, May 23. /TASS/. External forces are pushing Serbia to make a hard choice, while Russia has worked for decades to help prevent the Balkan country from being torn apart, a diplomatic source in Moscow told TASS in comments on a recent visit of Yelena Zelenskaya to Belgrade.

"It is hard for Serbs to find a shoulder to lean on in search of their place on the continent and in the world. In fact, for decades Russia has been one of the few factors preventing external forces from tearing Serbia apart," the source said. "The contradictions that force Belgrade officials to seek answers to the challenges are especially sharp in the current conditions, when there is an obvious watershed between the supporters of Western hegemony and the adherents of multipolarity, among which Russia plays a leading role. Practically, the Serbian government is being pushed to make a hard choice between a truly sovereign course and joining the camp of Russia's enemies, completely depriving it of room for maneuver."

According to the source, hence the attempts to "reconcile the contraries, to compensate for the natural and close relations in the East, including with officials in Moscow and Beijing, with clumsy curtsies to the Kiev regime and its sponsors."

"It is the worst when the abovementioned activity of some forces begins to resemble a frantic search for contrived reasons to feel ‘offended’ by Russia," the source said. "This includes talk of 'betrayal,' at a time when there is nothing else left but to agree to the thievish expropriation of Kosovo and, at the same time, join the anti-Russian pack."

According to the source, knowing the long-lasting history of Russian-Serbian relations gives a chance for optimism.

"It is hard to believe that friends in Serbia will respond to the invitation to such a cheap game because traditions of freedom, honor and dignity are still strong in this part of the Balkans," he said.