These days, the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) is holding debates in an emergency session due to the situation in Ukraine. At the end of the discussion, the Resolution on Russian aggression against Ukraine will be voted on. On this occasion, EU Ambassador Emanuel Jofre and the ambassadors of the member states in Belgrade today, in an open letter published in "Kurir", reminded official Belgrade that Serbia is "part of the international community" and a candidate country for EU membership and that part of the accession process is "harmonization with a common foreign and security policy". "Every vote counts." And we are counting on Serbia", the text reads.
The ambassadors unequivocally emphasized that these days are a turning point in European history and that "times of war sometimes require difficult decisions." "Not only does the situation expect us to put common interests before national ones, but it also shows us that in this case the common interest is the national interest."
They emphasized the determination and unity of Europe to defend "peace, international law and a system based on rules". "Nobody attacked Russia or threatened it, neither Ukraine nor any other country. The Kremlin's claims that Ukraine is run by Nazis, that it is seeking to acquire nuclear weapons and commit genocide against the Russian-speaking population of Ukraine are ridiculous and blatant lies." They add that Ukraine and Ukrainians just want "to live freely in peace in their own country."
The European Union reiterates its "unwavering support" for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, the text states, and emphasizes that Russia must immediately stop military actions, unconditionally withdraw all its forces and military equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine and fully respect the territorial integrity, sovereignty and the independence of Ukraine.
"The world needs to confront this brazen challenge to our collective security, which is the biggest threat to European stability since World War II."
While Europe, in this case, equates the common interest of the continent with the national interest, official Belgrade announced last week that Serbia will be guided exclusively by its national interests in the coming days.
The President of Serbia stated that yesterday there were "nine votes, in eight we did not join in one we did". "Serbia joins in everything related to demolition and violation of territorial integrity, Serbia will not join in what concerns sanctions." He says that the pressures that Serbia is facing are enormous, which speaks of "great respect for the independence and right of other countries to decide."
The position of Serbia, announced on Friday after the meeting of the National Security Council, is that it supports the territorial integrity of Ukraine, but that it will not impose sanctions on Russia.
SP
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