BELGRADE, January 17. /TASS/. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said in an interview with the Happy TV channel on Monday that the US is focusing all its efforts to fight Russia.

"Let’s not be naive. They [the US] aren’t on the side of Serbia," he said. "They are trying to behave rationally, seriously, so they don’t waste energy and power on someone else because they focused all their efforts against Russia."

The president al so said that "good relations with the US are important for us."

Derek Chollet, counselor of the US Department of State, said on his visit to Belgrade on January 12 that Serbia should impose sanctions on Russia or the country won’t be able to develop.

Vucic earlier described sanctions on Russia as a "double-edged sword." He said he was expecting increasing pressure on Serbia with respect to Kosovo and Metohija and sanctions on Russia. The Serbian president said it would require something significantly more than diplomatic pressure for him to impose sanctions on Russia.

After the start of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, Vucic said in an address to the nation, following a meeting of the Security Council, that Serbia supported the territorial integrity of Ukraine, but wouldn’t impose sanctions on Russia. The president said that the republic was temporarily suspending 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.