ZAKHAROVA: SERBIA CANNOT BE SUBDUED BY FORCE, SERBS AN EXAMPLE OF RESILIENCE

MOSCOW, September 15 /SRNA/ - Serbia cannot be subdued by force, while the Serb people represent one of the best examples of resilience and the ability to emerge even stronger after major historical trials, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

Speaking at the International Youth Festival in Yekaterinburg, she recalled what Serbia went through during the 20th century, highlighting the heroism of the Serb people in the First and Second World Wars. "The Serb people demonstrated tremendous heroism and did a great deal for us and our country, so that we could survive and continue fighting. Without Serbian support during World War II, this would not have been possible," Zakharova stressed. She also referred to the bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1999, noting that a sovereign country was bombed in the very heart of Europe and that depleted uranium ammunition was used. According to her, the consequences of such actions were not limited to the moment of the attack, but could also affect future generations. "All this could have led to the destruction of an entire people, but Serbia went through these trials and emerged stronger. And most importantly - Serbia cannot be subdued by force," Zakharova said. She assessed that Serbia is now facing different challenges and stressed that it is important not to succumb to them, Sputnik reported. "We will see what the Serbs will do. If they do not succumb to these challenges, they will remain great in the centuries to come, just as their ancestors have already written pages of history through their strength," Zakharova concluded.