State Dept spokesman: Don’t expand cooperation with Russia

Stejt department, SAD
REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

An unnamed State Department spokesman told the Voice of America that cooperation with Russia should not be expanded by any country for as long as Moscow continues its aggression on Ukraine.

Siding with Russia is a step in the wrong direction and runs counter to Serbia’s expressed European aspirations, the spokesman said and added that it’s clear that Russia does not support accession to the European Union for any of the countries of the Western Balkans.

He added that the fact that Serbia signed a document with Russia runs counter to the other constructive meetings Serbian officials had in New York without specifying which meetings he meant. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met with White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland during the UN General Assembly session.

Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic met with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov at the UN headquarters and signed a plan on consultations between the two ministries over the next two years.