Former Ukrainian MP's associate in Serbia outraged by Kyiv's demand to close office of pro-Russian organisation

Dragan Stanojević, the head of Serbian office of the Drugaya Ukraina (Another Ukraine), an NGO founded by Viktor Medvedchuk, pro-Russian politician of Ukrainian descent, has rejected the demands by the Ukrainian embassy in Belgrade to ban the office of the movement due to violating the local law.

Source: European Pravda with reference to Stanojević’s commentary for Radio Liberty

Details: Stanojević claimed that the statement of the Ukrainian embassy is "absurd" since it allegedly wants "to ban me from helping Ukrainians who turn to me".

"If they (the Ukrainian authorities – ed.) are at war with Medvedchuk, then it’s their problem. Nobody will close anything. I will certainly continue to do what I’m doing," he said.

Stanojević also revealed to Radio Liberty that he did not know Medvedchuk personally but he shared his ideas.

"Besides, it is my right to respect somebody. For instance, I respect [Oleksii] Arestovych (former counselor to the Office of the President of Ukraine who defected to Russia – ed.). So what? Should I call him an agent? By the way, if you know him, tell him I am ready to become a head of his organisation as well," he stated.

The Ukrainian embassy in Serbia, which had announced its protest to the Serbian Foreign Affairs Ministry back at the beginning of December due to the activity of the Drugaya Ukraina (Another Ukraine) NGO, stated that the local law on business entities does not allow the use of the name of a country in the official name of a legal entity without the permission of the relevant foreign state.

Dragan Stanojević, a Serbian MP who publicly supports Russian aggression, has become the head of Another Ukraine's division created in August 2023. He was elected a member of the Serbian parliament from the We Are the Voice of the People party in December 2023.

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