The European Union has told Serbia that maintaining ties with Russia during the ongoing invasion of Ukraine is incompatible with the bloc's values and the EU accession process, highlighting a running dispute between Brussels and the candidate country.
The warning followed the announcement of a meeting between Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of an economic forum in Vladivostok on September 3-6.
"The European Union has been crystal clear with our partners: Relations with Russia cannot be business as usual after Russia's unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine," the bloc said in response to a request from RFE/RL's Balkan Service for comment on September 3.
Brussels also said the EU "wants to count on all candidate countries as reliable European partners for common principles, values, security, and prosperity."
Putin's office announced that the Russian president will meet with Vulin on September 4.
Putin will be meeting with Malaysian and Chinese officials the same day.
Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic told RFE/RL that he saw the announcement of the meeting in the media, adding that "it is nothing epochal or so terrible" for Vulin to meet with Putin in Russia.
"We have not broken off diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation; it is not forbidden for someone to meet with representatives of the Russian Federation," Vucevic added during a visit to Novi Pazar in southwestern Serbia.
SEE ALSO: News Analysis: Kosovo Further Alienates Minority Serbs, Straining Status As 'Reliable Partner'Vucevic also emphasized that Serbia doesn't encourage the war in Ukraine and does not support the violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity. "We have voted for all the resolutions confirming Ukraine's integrity, but we are not giving up our friendship with the Russian Federation, we have not imposed sanctions, we have not expelled the ambassador. On the contrary, we maintain normal communication," Vucevic said.
He noted that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban -- whose policies have angered the European Union -- had met with Putin.
"We will not apologize for our policy or justify it. We can explain our policy," Vucevic said.
Vulin was put under U.S. sanctions over his dealings with Russia, among other things.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on August 31 denied having close ties to Putin, telling attendees at a Prague security conference that his country is no "Trojan horse" for Moscow despite its refusal to join sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine invasion.