Vucic: Serbia should have abstained in UNGA vote on EU resolution on Ukraine

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Monday evening Serbia had voted for an EU resolution on Ukraine in the UN General Assembly, but that this was a mistake and that it should have abstained.

"I think Serbia made a mistake. I apologise to the Serbian citizens for that and I myself am to blame for this, I guess because I am tired and under too much of a burden and I do not have the time to deal with everything," Vucic said on a Happy TV talk show.

"As for the US resolution, we voted in just the right way - we abstained. In my opinion, we should also have abstained regarding the European resolution. As you can see, I am saying this now when it is completely clear I will fall out of favour with the EU or lose political gains because of it. I believe Serbia should have abstained," Vucic said.

"The explanation I heard after that is that that (a vote in favour of the resolution) would confirm our positions on territorial integrity. But we would not have denied them even if we had abstained. I do not think we should ingratiate ourselves with any power - the Russians, Americans, or anyone else," Vucic said.

In a reaction, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday Moscow accepted Vucic's apology for the mistake in the vote on an "anti-Russian resolution."

"Of course, we heard the apology and we accept it. Technical mistakes happen," the Russian RIA news agency quoted Peskov as saying.

Peskov also commended Vucic's "quick reaction" as head of state.