Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary for Russian President Vladimir Putin, has expressed hope that Serbia and the Bosnian Serb entity of Republika Srpska (RS) will not give in to pressure from the West to join sanctions against Russia.

Speaking in an interview with the Banja Luka-based TV channel Alternative Television, which is under US sanctions, Peskov called Serbs “brothers and strategic partners”.

He said that Belgrade was currently under greater pressure from the West to impose sanctions on the Russian Federation than the RS authorities, which are obstructing such attempts in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“Serbia is under even greater pressure than Republika Srpska. We hope they will have enough strength not to follow the mainstream of the collective West,” Peskov said.

The interview was conducted in Moscow, in Russian.

In a separate interview broadcast by Republika Srpska television, RS President Milorad Dodik announced that he will meet with President Putin in Moscow on 23 May.