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Moscow’s relations with the last loyalist state in Europe have been tainted by a diplomatic scandal.
Maria Zakharova ruined relations between Russia and Serbia / REUTERS
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria posted a Facebook post comparing Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to heroine Sharon Stone in the movie Basic Instinct. The charge sparked a diplomatic scandal and drew strong criticism even in Russia.
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Zakharova’s post is related to the circumstances of Vucic’s visit to the United States. The Serbian delegation led by the President held talks with the Prime Minister of the self-proclaimed Republic of Kosovo, Avdulah Hoti. After the negotiations, the parties signed an economic cooperation agreement with the mediation of US President Donald Trump.
However, Zakharova focused on the photograph taken during the visit. In it, Vucic sits in a chair in the middle of an oval office, a few feet from Donald Trump’s desk. This image was used to create a meme: the Russian representative invited the President of Serbia to repeat the “foot by foot” maneuver that Sharon Stone did while sitting on a chair in “Basic Instinct”.
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The post of the Foreign Ministry spokesperson was criticized in the comments: Zakharova was accused of undermining Moscow’s relations with virtually the only union state in Europe and of being incompetent. The publication also provoked a strong reaction in Serbia.
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Thus, the Director of the Foreign Ministry for Kosovo and Metohija under the Government of Serbia, Marko Djurić, spoke in defense of Vucic.
“The president did not say a single unpleasant word to Russia, not even there. Imagine that the president waited an hour for a reception with the president of Russia and never asked for a special chair. I will not let you attack proud Serbia. You should be ashamed, ”he wrote on Twitter.
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Serbian Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin also criticized Zakharova’s post. As reported by “TASS”, his statement was published by the press service of the Serbian Ministry of Defense.
In particular, Vulin recalled that Vucic is the only statesman in Europe who has refused to impose sanctions against Russia. In addition, he is the commander-in-chief of the Serbian army, cooperating closely with the Russian.
“The size of a person is measured neither by the size of the chair in which he sits, nor by the amount of force on behalf of which he speaks, but by the amount of courage in any chair to defend his people already the friends of his people, ”concluded the Serbian minister.
Relations between Russia and Serbia
- Currently, Serbia is Russia’s only ally in Europe. Belgrade traditionally views Moscow as an important geopolitical ally.
- According to open source data, from 2002 to 2014 the size of Russian investments (mainly by oil and gas companies) in Serbia amounted to around $ 3 billion.
- After the Russian aggression in Ukraine, Serbia did not impose sanctions against the Russian Federation. Last April, Vucic said that Serbia would not impose sanctions on Russia and would not join NATO.
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Author:
Dmitry Zakharov
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