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Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic shake hands during their meeting in the Bocharov Ruchei residence in the Black Sea resort of in Sochi, Russia, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2019.(Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

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Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, listens to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic during their meeting at the Bocharov Ruchei residence in the Black Sea resort of in Sochi, Russia, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2019. (Shamil Zhumatov, Pool Photo via AP)

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Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic pose for a photo during their meeting in the Bocharov Ruchei residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russia, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2019.(Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

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Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, welcomes Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, center, for the talks during their meeting at the Bocharov Ruchei residence in the Black Sea resort of in Sochi, Russia, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2019. (Shamil Zhumatov, Pool Photo via AP)

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Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, speaks to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, left, as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, right, attends the talks in the Bocharov Ruchei residence in the Black Sea resort of in Sochi, Russia, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2019. Putin and Vucic talked about Russian natural gas supplies, military cooperation and other issues during their meeting. (Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

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Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with his Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in the Bocharov Ruchei residence in the Black Sea resort of in Sochi, Russia, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2019. (Shamil Zhumatov, Pool Photo via AP) Shamil Zhumatov/Pool

Russia, Serbia pledge expanded energy, military ties

By Associated Press AP

PUBLISHED 10:05 AM ET Dec. 04, 2019

MOSCOW (AP) — The leaders of Russia and Serbia have pledged to expand their energy and military ties.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday after hosting his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic that they discussed Russian natural gas supplies to Serbia.

Putin said Russia is willing to continue pumping its gas to Europe via Ukraine but added that Ukraine so far has offered unacceptable conditions for transit. He voiced hope that Russia and Ukraine could reach a compromise.

Vucic said the two countries also have “excellent” military cooperation. He said Serbia is awaiting the delivery of more Russian weapons.

The Serbian leader remarked that NATO’s 1999 bombing campaign against Serbia wouldn’t have been possible if Putin had been in charge of Russia then.