Serbia rebukes neighbor over ‘Russian satellite’ claim — RT World News

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic rebuked Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grelik Radman, who criticized Belgrade's approach to international relations. Grelik Radman claimed that Serbia is a fait accompli “Satellites” Russia, which refused to adopt the Western line regarding the Ukrainian conflict.

Since the outbreak of hostilities two years ago, Serbia, which has traditionally maintained close relations with Moscow, has sought to remain neutral. Vucic said on numerous occasions that his government was under pressure from Western powers to impose sanctions on Russia.

The Serbian leader wrote in an Instagram post on Saturday that the Croatian Foreign Minister “Not only does he brutally interfere in Serbia's internal affairs, but, as usual, he lies, insults the Serbian people and threatens Serbian citizens.”

Vucic added that he has “He was never anyone's boy and servant, which cannot be said of Gerlik Radman.”

In a separate statement on Sunday, the Serbian Foreign Ministry said it had done so “We sent a note of protest to the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in Belgrade regarding the unacceptable statement of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Croatia, Jordan Grlić Radman,” that was “Directed against the President of the Republic of Serbia, Mr. Aleksandar Vucic, and the Republic of Serbia as a whole.”

The Serbian Ministry added that these statements only lead to increasing tensions in the region, and expressed its hope that their Croatian colleagues will refrain from interfering in Serbia's internal affairs in the future.

The original statement, which sparked the Belgrade protests, was made by Grlić Radman during an appearance on Croatian N1 TV on Saturday, in which he said Vucic's government does not truly represent the Serbian people. In a clear reference to the conflict in Ukraine, he also called on the Serbian president to do so “Decide which chair to sit on, because it is uncomfortable to sit on two chairs.”

Grlic-Radman went on to claim that Vucic “Maybe it's some sort of… satellite for Russia.”

After these statements and the Serbian reaction, the Croatian Foreign Ministry insisted that Grlić Radman had done just that. “I mentioned the fact that Serbia is not aligned with the European Union’s foreign and security policy regarding Russian aggression against Ukraine.”

Zagreb said Belgrade failed to convict “Russian aggression” In Ukraine it is forbidden to be a “Candidate for European Union membership” And the benefits that joining the bloc brings.