Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has commented on Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić's statements in an interview with a German magazine regarding Belgrade's readiness to sell ammunition to the European Union.
Zakharova stated that Moscow has repeatedly received assurances from the Serbian leadership that the export of ammunition is under strict control and that weapons manufactured in Serbia will not be delivered to Ukraine.
"Moscow has repeatedly received assurances from the Serbian leadership that the export of ammunition produced in Serbia is under strict supervision and that these goods will not be delivered to Ukraine, in order to prevent Kiev from using them against our soldiers," Zakharova said at a press conference.
Speaking about the Serbian president's contradictory public statements, Zakharova added that it seems to her as if several different Vučićs are speaking, due to his incoherent positions on the relationship with Moscow and Brussels.
“You know, when I read all those interviews of the President of Serbia, I wonder if there really is only one President Vučić, because one gets the impression that these interviews are given by completely different people. We hear certain statements when he is in Moscow and completely different ones when he speaks from other geographical points. I am only talking about what is in the public sphere. Maybe the media has misreported something, but in that case there should be an explanation from the president’s press office ,” Zakharova stressed.
She recalled that the Russian side at the highest level has consistently received assurances from Belgrade regarding respect for neutrality and control of arms exports.
"Honestly, several times, and at the highest level, we have received statements from the Serbian leadership that the export of Serbian ammunition is strictly controlled and that these goods will not end up in Ukraine, in order to prevent their use against our soldiers," the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman emphasized.
She also reminded Belgrade that "Russian soldiers have repeatedly come to the aid of the brotherly Serbian people."
"I refuse to consider not only the possibility, but also the very thought that Russian soldiers, who historically gave their hearts - in every sense of the word - by giving their lives or expressing love and loyalty to their Serbian brothers, could be hit or killed by Serbian weapons, ammunition and grenades," Zakharova concluded her reaction.
Earlier, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) announced that Belgrade allegedly sent ammunition to Kiev, despite its declared neutrality.
After that, Vučić declared that "all disputed shipments will be canceled if there are doubts about the documentation or the end user" . On June 23, he announced that Serbia had suspended the export of ammunition and that special decisions would be required for any future shipments abroad.