Chepurin: Imposing sanctions on Russia would be fatal for Serbia

BELGRADE - Imposing sanctions on Moscow would be fatal for Serbia itself, Russian Ambassador to Serbia Alexander Chepurin told the Vecernje novosti daily in an interview.

"We see that the Serbian leaders are not considering such an option at all, and many EU member states are also looking for a possibility to abandon the sanctions," he said.

The tendencies have changed, said Chepurin, who believes Russia's ties with the EU and the US will be revitalised, "but on an equal rights basis."

When asked if President Vladimir Putin's statement that the West recognised the will of the people in Kosovo without recognising the will of the people in the Crimea heralded a change in Moscow's stance on Kosovo's status, Chepurin responded the analogy was clear.

Putin was referring to "double standards" - the Westerners suit all solutions to their own interests, Chepurin...