West issues Serbia ultimatum to choose 'anything but Russia,' diplomat says

The West has given Belgrade an ultimatum, effectively forcing it to choose "anything but Russia," Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

"Just like in the situation with Ukraine, the West initially set conditions for Serbia, compelling it to make a tough choice, i.e. either be with the West or with Russia, instead of harmoniously combining different development paths in accordance with the national interests of the Serbian people. Now, however, the only choice left is to be with the West. As for recent remarks, they sound like nothing but an ultimatum: [choose] anything you like, just so long as it’s not Russia," the diplomat told RT television, commenting on the ongoing protests in Serbia.

According to Zakharova, earlier, Ukraine was shoehorned into the same "us-or-them" model and all warnings were ignored.

Members of the Serbia Against Violence opposition bloc, who began rallying regularly in front of the Republican Election Commission building in Belgrade on December 18, tried to storm the city hall building on December 24 but were dispersed by police officers. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic warned that opposition protests would lead to nothing as "elections are the only way to change the government" in the Balkan country. Still, opponents of the country’s leadership continue to challenge the victory of the ruling party-led coalition in Belgrade's city council election.