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West indifferent to Ukrainian people, Russian ambassador to Serbia says

According to Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko, the West intends to go to war with Russia "to the last Ukrainian"

BELGRADE, August 31. /TASS/. Statements by Western representatives about the need to support Kiev in reality have nothing to do with the desire to support the Ukrainian people, Russian Ambassador to Serbia Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko said.

"We have paid attention to the statement of EU Ambassador to Serbia Emmanuel Joffre, circulated by Serbian media, about the fact that allegedly 'almost 80 million Ukrainian citizens need help,'" the embassy's press service quoted the Russian diplomat as saying. "It is clear that the West, which intends to go to war with Russia 'to the last Ukrainian,' does not care about the real - much smaller - population of this country. At the same time, do these figures appear in the European Commission's financial reports on the deliveries and recipients of humanitarian aid?" the envoy said.

On August 30, Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic participated in the delivery of the next batch of humanitarian aid to Ukraine, stressing that Belgrade is ready to increase support to Kiev together with the European Union. She pointed out that there are currently more than 43,000 refugees and internally displaced persons from Ukraine in Serbia, and the country "will try to help and support the Ukrainian people in difficult circumstances in partnership with the EU, as well as to accept more refugees from that country."

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said earlier that Ukraine is a friendly country for Serbia, stressing that Belgrade has never had any conflicts or problems with Kiev.

Following the launch of Russia’s special military operation, the Serbian president said in an address to the nation after the Security Council meeting that his country supports the territorial integrity of Ukraine, but will not impose sanctions against Russia. He said that the country was temporarily halting military and police exercises with all foreign partners. According to Vucic, Serbia considers Russia and Ukraine to be brotherly states and regrets what is happening in Eastern Europe. He also said that Belgrade was ready to provide humanitarian aid to Kiev.