The US embassy to Serbia reiterated on Thursday Washington was "worried about Belgrade purchases of the Russian military equipment and call on the authorities to stop with translocations which with Moscow which could lead to sanctions," Radio Free Europe (RFE) reported.

 “We call on all our allies and partners to give up transactions with Russia which pose a risk of implementing sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA),” the embassy told RFE.

The embassy said that the US and Russia “have very different views of the Western Balkans future. Washington strongly supports Serbia's European path and its declared goal of the European Union membership. Moscow, on the other hand, is active against the Western integration of the region and attempts to prevent the solution to ethnic tensions, marginalise the US and EU influence and slows down or prevents the Western Balkans to follow its independent orientation.”

Serbia's President confirmed on Wednesday that the complete Russian-made anti-aircraft defence system Pantsir arrived in Serbia, RFE said.    

It added that “the new purchase of the weapons and military equipment from Russia caused concern in Brussels and Washington, and that Peter Stano, a spokesperson for Joseph Borrell, the EU High Commissioner for Foreign and Security, said on February 25 that Serbia had to adjust its foreign policy to that of the bloc.

Matthew Palmer, the State Department special envoy for the Western Balkans, was the first official to mention the possibility of the US sanctions in November last year.

Next month, Vucic said Serbia would stop buying weapons, but recently announced a new purchase of the Israel-made arms, adding that would not be “a small order.”

RFE reminds that Belgrade still expects the delivery of the Moscow donation of T-72 tanks and some armoured BRDM-2 vehicles, as well four Russian-made MiG-29 fighter aircraft from Belarus which are being repaired in Baranovichi.