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Serbia to impose sanctions on Russia only under imminent threat — president

"Our essence is to protect the international law and condemn those who violate the international law", Alexandar Vucic said

BELGRADE, November 11. /TASS/. Serbia will impose sanctions on Russia only if "there is literally the sword of Damocles hanging above our heads," President Alexandar Vucic said in an interview to Serbian media in Paris, aired by TV Pink on Thursday.

"Our essence is to protect the international law and condemn those who violate the international law. <…> We do not conduct the policy of sanctions, especially against those who protected us in 2015 and helped the cause to defend our country’s territorial integrity. This is our policy, our core, and we can swerve from it in only one case - if there is literally the sword of Damocles hanging above our heads," Vucic said after talks with French President Emmanuel Macron.

After Russia started its special military operation in Ukraine, Vucic in an address to the nation following a meeting of the Security Council said that Serbia supports the territorial integrity of Ukraine, but will not impose sanctions on Russia. The president said that the country suspended army and police exercises with all foreign partners. He said that Serbia considers Russia and Ukraine fraternal states, regrets what is happening in the east of Europe, and is ready to provide humanitarian assistance to Kiev.

Speaking at the Globsec forum in Bratislava earlier this year, Vucic said that 77% of the country's citizens oppose sanctions on Russia.

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