I suggest the State Department, instead of announcement about Crimea, to explain how they ripped Kosovo from the state of Serbia without referendum, with bombs and missiles, wrote Russian Senator Aleksey Pushkov on his twitter, reports Serbian media.

He reminded that Crimea was Russian at a time when America did not exist. He commented the Washington's condemnation of the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Crimea.

Chairman of the NATO Military Committee Petr Pavel has told B92.net that cooperation with the European Union and NATO "goes hand in hand".

Speaking to Filip Cukanovic after a meeting with Serbian Defence Minister Aleksandar Vulin, Pavel also said he was "always satisfied after meeting with partner countries" and that "there is a plan for the future".

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Thursday criticized the idea to create an army in Kosovo.

"The creation of armed forces of Kosovo - a structure that has never in any way approached a state structure - is making the situation even more tense," Zakharova said at a regular press conference, commenting on the statements made this week by US Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia Wess Mitchell.

The top US military commander in Europe recently testified before the US Senate about Russia's influence in the Balkans, B92 reports.

Replying to Senator Tom Cotton, General Curtis Scaparrotti singled out Serbia as the greatest cause for concern in this context.

When asked, "Serbia or Republika Srpska" - i.e., Serbia or the Serb Republic, RS, the Serb entity in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Scaparrotti reiterated, "Serbia. "

Below is the part of the transcript of Scaparrotti's testimony given on March 8, that regards Serbia:

President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker said that “he did not ask the Serbs to choose between Russia and EU, because they have to have normal relations with Russia and the best possible relations with the EU,” Tanjug news agency reported on Saturday.

“Serbia has very close relations with Moscow that is much active in the region” Juncker told Euronews in Sofia.

Sergei Lavrov's visit showed that Russia's support for Aleksandar Vucic is effectively conditioned by his alliance with pro-Russian forces in the government.

This is according to Gennady Sisoyev, a correspondent for Russian daily Kommersant, who spoke for Beta agency.

Serbian leaders heaped praise on Russia during Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's visit to Belgrade – while Lavrov in turn said Russia would not relent in its opposition to Kosovo's independence.

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov on Thursday accused the EU and NATO of creating an “unhealthy situation” in Europe, while his Serbian hosts thanked Russia for its support and repeated that Serbia will not introduce Western-style sanctions.

Cooperation between Serbia and Russia does not represent any threat to Kosovo, Deputy Supreme Allied Commander of NATO Forces for Europe, General James Everard and Commander of NATO’s Joint Force Command in Naples, U.S. Navy Admiral James Foggo said during the visit to the KFOR base in Pristina, RTS reported.

“Relations between Serbia and Russia are a matter of sovereignty of the two states and Serbia can decide with whom it wishes bilateral cooperation and what relations it wants to have,” NATO Commanders said, RTS reported.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov late on Thursday presented a Russian state decoration, the Order of Friendship, to his Serbian counterpart Ivica Dacic.

Dacic has been given this award for his merits in strengthening friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic says it is more logical for the US and the UK to withdraw their recognition of Kosovo - than for Russia to recognize it.

The comment, made after Dacic's meeting in Belgrade with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, was prompted by Hashim Thaci saying that Belgrade "would be able to step out of the false mythology" if Russia recognized Kosovo.