Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that the outgoing US President Joe Biden’s administration aims to cause harm to Serbia by imposing new sanctions on Russia. He also confirmed that Moscow has requested urgent consultations with Belgrade regarding sanctions against the Serbian Oil Industry (NIS).
“Now, the Americans, or rather the Biden administration, the Democrats, want to cause harm to the next administration. They want to harm both Serbia and the Trump administration simultaneously,” Lavrov said at a press conference discussing Russia’s diplomatic results for 2024, referring to US sanctions on Russia’s energy sector.
Lavrov emphasized that Russia is in constant contact with Serbia and has requested urgent consultations over the sanctions on NIS. He added that the US and the EU are pressuring Serbia to turn its back on Russia.
The United States imposed sanctions on NIS due to Russian ownership in the company and is demanding that Russia divests its stake.
Bajatović on NIS Sanctions: Serbia Shouldn’t Make Enemies Out of Russia
In response, Serbian officials have expressed concerns, with some arguing that Serbia should not make enemies of Russia, a long-time ally. Economists have been trying to assess the full impact of these sanctions on Serbia’s economy.
US Wants to Disable Turkish Stream
Lavrov also accused the United States of attempting to undermine the Turkish Stream pipeline, a major Russian gas supply route to Europe. He claimed the US is allowing terrorist attacks on energy infrastructure and is planning to sabotage the Turkish Stream, following the destruction of the Nord Stream pipeline.
The Turkish Stream pipeline, launched in January 2020, is crucial for delivering Russian gas to southern and southeastern Europe. It remains the only viable route for Russian gas supply to the European market following the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipeline.
Turkey Stream’s Importance for European Energy Security
The pipeline has a projected annual capacity of 31.5 billion cubic meters, and its significance has grown since the sabotage of Nord Stream, making it a key link for energy supply to Europe.
