What did the Kremlin say about the 'Maidan plot' in Serbia?
(Baonghean.vn) - Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov affirmed that the unrest was "clearly" stirred up by third parties.
According to RT, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on December 25 that the riots last weekend in the Serbian capital Belgrade were incited by "third parties", including from abroad.
Serbia has seen a series of protests following parliamentary elections on 17 December, in which the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) won a decisive victory. The pro-EU opposition Serbian Alliance Against Violence (SPN) has made allegations of “vote theft”.
The unrest escalated on the evening of December 24 when protesters tried to surround government buildings in Belgrade. Police later cleared protesters from the city center amid violent clashes.
Speaking to Russian media, Kremlin spokesman Peskov said there was nothing to suggest there were any irregularities in the Serbian elections, explaining that observers “did not record any violations that could cast doubt” on the legitimacy of the elections.
“Obviously, there are processes and attempts by third parties, including from abroad, to provoke such unrest in Belgrade. This is what we are seeing. We have no doubt that the leadership of the republic will maintain the rule of law in the country,” Peskov said.
The Kremlin official stressed that Moscow maintains a policy of non-interference in the affairs of other countries, adding that this applies especially to Russia's “ally and partner” Serbia.
Mr Peskov's comments echoed those made earlier in the day by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. "Western attempts to stir up the situation in Serbia using the methods of organizing Maidan-style coups are obvious," Ms Zakharova said, referring to the 2014 armed uprising in Kiev that toppled Ukraine's elected government.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic condemned the riots in Belgrade as an attempted “color revolution” - a term often used to describe movements funded and organized by Western countries, often the United States, to overthrow leaders who go against Washington's interests.
Mr Vucic initially thanked unnamed “foreign agencies” for warning Belgrade about “exactly what the thugs were preparing”. Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic later revealed that Belgrade had received crucial intelligence from Moscow about the protesters’ plans.
