BELGRADE, April 19. /TASS/. If Serbia joined sanctions on Russia, that would legalize everything the West did against Serbia ranging from Operation Storm to the occupation of Kosovo and Metohija, political analyst Dragomir Andjelkovic told reporters on Tuesday.

"The West demands that Serbia impose sanctions on Russia. Are they doing this so that we help their aggression against Russia? Of course not, Russia can defend itself without the Serbs. But the fact is that the Serbs can’t successfully defend their interests without the Russians, be it UN matters, where [without Russian support] Kosovo would have become a member of the UN overnight, or Republika Srpska. Western centers of power, which failed to completely break us, are now trying to force us to destroy ourselves with a boomerang effect: by turning away from Russia and losing support in protecting key interests. Serbs, if they accepted today all the Western lies directed against Russia, would legalize all the actions of the West against Serbia ranging from Operation Storm, the aggression against the Republika Srpska in 1995, to the occupation and declaration of independence of Kosovo. They demand that we renounce ourselves, in solidarity with their policy towards Russia," he said.

The analyst said Serbia should remain strictly neutral and refrain from imposing any sanctions unless they are approved by the UN.

"We must firmly adhere to neutrality because it protects our vital national interests. Russia does not demand that we go over to their side, it wants us to be only tactful, and the West is trying to set us off us against ourselves and against Russia. Neutrality should become a constitutional category in Serbia, the country should not be able to impose sanctions unless they are approved by the UNSC," he said.

Earlier, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said in a state-of-the-nation speech that Serbia supports Ukraine’s territorial integrity, but won’t impose sanctions on Russia. The president also informed that his country is temporarily halting military and police exercises with all foreign partners. He said Serbia considers Russia and Ukraine to be brotherly countries, regrets what is happening in the east of Europe, and is ready to provide humanitarian aid to Kiev.

Serbian lawyer and political analyst Goran Petronijevic urged to tread carefully when assessing media reports that toe the line of the hybrid war waged by the West on Russia. "Not a single news bulletin in Serbia starts without a statement by Zelensky. That’s the most important information, or rather disinformation. What is Zelensky? He’s alive while he’s playing. As soon as he stops, he’ll be killed at the hands of his Western handlers or his fascists. Neutrality is needed," the analyst said.

On February 24 Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation in response to a request for help by the heads of the Donbass republics. He stressed that Moscow had no plans of occupying Ukrainian territories. Afterward, the US, EU, UK and some other countries imposed sanctions on Russian individuals and legal entities.