US Ambassador to Serbia Christopher Hill said that Serbia will have to make a decision regarding sanctions against Russia because it is paying a high price for not imposing them.

It is very important for Serbia not to wait to become a member of the European Union (EU), but to align its policy with that of the EU in the accession process, even in the part regarding sanctions against Russia.

He said even many small European states have introduced the sanctions, even though it was difficult for them, but they did it because it was the right thing to do, adding he believes Serbia will also realize this, because it is never too late to do the right thing.

Asked what is slowing down Serbia’s progress on the EU path the most, whether its failure to impose sanctions on Russia, insufficient progress in the dialogue with Pristina, the state of democracy or problems within the EU, Ambassador Hill said the most honest answer would be “all of that together.”

He added that the most important thing is for the Serbian people to realize that the path to the EU is the right one, as the US believes it to be.

The Ambassador said Serbia has made a lot of progress, and that he disagrees with the pessimists who say it is heading in the wrong direction.

Serbia is going in the right direction. I know it is frustratingly difficult and slow, but it is on a good path and we will support it as much as we can, said Hill.

The Ambassador said he believes that Moscow’s influence on Belgrade is negative, and that the people will have to realize this. He voiced his opinion that Russia is not helping Serbia in any way, that it has done nothing to help resolve the Kosovo issue, practically nothing to help Serbia’s economy, and that Serbia is also having to pay for its energy support.

Regarding the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue on the normalization of relations, Hill said it was still too early make any assessments of the outcome of the recently held meeting between Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, and that new talks are to follow. The Ambassador said he believes things are going in a good direction, but that no one has agreed to anything yet.

He said it is important to resolve issues, that the Community of Serb Municipalities should finally be formed after ten years, and that many see this as a test for the international community to show whether it is truly interested in resolving this issue. I can say that it is, it just takes patience, Hill added.