Serbia Says It Was Blackmailed Over UN Vote Against Russia

The UN General Assembly voted on Thursday to exclude Russia from the organization's human rights commission. One of the voters, Serbia, says it was blackmailed over UN vote against Russia.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has stated that his country has been compelled to support Russia's suspension from the UN Human Rights Council by the prospect of sanctions.

Belgrade has always had good connections with Moscow, but this week backed other Western countries in voting against Russia in reaction to its military incursion in Ukraine. "Our initial decision was to abstain," Vucic told RTS TV on Thursday. "But then we were subjected to countless and difficult pressure."

“They said - do you know that a decision is being made whether Serbia will be exempted from the package of sanctions on [Russian] oil, and whether it will be able to import oil after May 15?” the president said. He likened the impact of sanctions on Serbia to a "nuclear strike."

Serbia, unlike the EU, ...

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