"It is clear that all of us in the European Union (EU) would like Serbia to impose sanctions against Russia, as most of the countries in the region have done. I understand the difficulties that Serbia is facing related to imposing sanctions, as well as the complexity of this situation for the Serbian government," Ambassador of Spain to Serbia Raúl Bartolomé Molina said in his interview with Kurir.
It has been three months since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. No one dares predict anymore how long this war might last. In your opinion, what has this conflict shown? Perhaps the fact that the Russian Armed Forces aren't as powerful as they had claimed for years? Or that the EU can certainly demonstrate unity and resolve when the need arises?
"Russia's aggression against Ukraine has shown, above all, a radical change in the structure of the European and international defence. The attack that it has carried out, for which there is absolutely no justification, has turned Putin's Russia into an absolute factor of instability in the international relations and a conversational partner with no credibility whatsoever, in light of the blatant lies that it has used as a basis for the war. Furthermore, what we have seen is the extraordinary resistance that the Ukrainian people have mounted in defending their territory, alongside the serious shortcomings in the Russian military strategy, whose actual goals we don't even seem to manage to understand fully. In brief, what has also come to light is the sort of unity that had been inconceivable until recently – within the European Union on the one hand, and NATO on the other – in order to respond to a cruel and merciless aggression against a sovereign European state."
Could the EU and NATO have helped Ukraine more?
"Ukraine isn't a member state of the European Union or NATO, and its accession to either of these organizations wasn't even planned pre-24 February. The European Union, or NATO, or any of their member states are not at war with Russia. It was Russia that launched a military attack against Ukraine, using fabricated excuses and blatant lies, even without a formal declaration of war. However, the threat to the overall security of the continent posed by the Russian aggression has resulted in many European and non-European countries bilaterally helping Ukraine defend itself, by sending weapons, training their army personnel, delivering humanitarian aid and, above all, admitting millions of innocent citizens who have been forced to leave their homes. You can always do more, and more will be done if the aggression doesn't stop, but we mustn't forget that – contrary to the claims of the Russian propaganda – Ukraine isn't formally a NATO ally, or an EU member. If it becomes either of these, it will be as a result of the pro-European stance of the majority of its population – a stance that will likely grow stronger due to the aggression – and after the negotiation process that will start when the necessary conditions are met."
The sanctions that the EU imposes against Russia significantly affect the Union member states themselves, especially relating to gas and oil supply. This is why some states, e.g. Hungary, have opposed the new sanctions package. Is it at all possible to reduce the dependence on Russian energy carriers at once?
"The EU has imposed five sanctions packages against Russia already. These sanctions adversely affect everyone, above all because the intention is to hurt the Russian people as little as possible, as it is not to blame for the decisions made by its administration; further, because the sanctions harm the economies of our own states. Cutting the dependence on Russian energy sources is highly complex and takes a certain amount of time, given that the degree of dependence varies from one state to another. I'm sure, however, that together we will all succeed in ending this dependence, which at the moment actually only helps the war go on; on the other hand, this will help us improve the development of clean and renewable energy."
Could Serbia face any consequences for not imposing sanctions against Russia?
"Serbia is a European country which is negotiating its EU accession. One of the key elements of the accession negotiations is the gradual alignment with the common foreign and security policy. The sanctions against Russia and Belarus are part of this common foreign and security policy. I understand the difficulties that Serbia is facing related to imposing sanctions, as well as the complexity of this situation for the Serbian government. As a friend to Serbia, Spain has been supporting and will continue to support Serbia's justified efforts to become an EU member state. The EU as a whole is continuing the negotiations within all the open chapters. France, which is currently presiding over the European Union, will organize a Conference on the Western Balkans in June. The next country to preside over the EU, the Czech Republic, has already announced that the region of the Balkans will be one of its priorities. As you can see, there are no immediate consequences if aligning with the sanctions doesn't take place, but it is clear that we would all like Serbia to impose them, as most countries in the regions have done."
In the past few weeks, we have heard a number of times that Russia's attack against Ukraine is a violation of international law, which is indeed correct. However, was there a breach of international law in 1999, when NATO attacked Yugoslavia without the decision of the United Nations Security Council?
"To be honest, I find it difficult to make a comparison. The contradictory and confusing statements made by President Putin, which connect the two, confirm all the more that it is so. Spain does not recognize the unilateral declaration of independence of the territory of Kosovo, and has always defended and will always defend the territorial integrity of Serbia. Therefore, it is fully legitimate for it to defend the territorial integrity of Serbia. The suffering of the Serbian people cannot justify or be used as an excuse to underestimate the suffering of the Ukrainian people in this war, as Putin's Russia has claimed. I am certain that the Serbian people, used as it is to many predicaments and much suffering over the course of its history, will be able to see that."
Kurir.rs/Boban Karović
