The Russian ambassador did not rule out the introduction of secondary US sanctions against Serbian banks.

The possibility of secondary US sanctions against the Serbian banking system due to restrictions against the Oil Industry of Serbia (NIS) cannot be completely ruled out. This was announced on January 1 by Russian Ambassador to Serbia Alexander Botan-Kharchenko.

"Secondary sanctions may also be directed against Serbia. The fact that they will be difficult for Serbia is natural, the president [of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic] is right about this, since this is the banking and financial sector, the consequences in this case, if any restrictive measures relate to this area, the consequences are wide and very, I won't say "disastrous", but at least difficult, complicated, difficult," RIA Novosti quoted him as saying.

At the same time, the diplomat expressed the hope that "it will not come to secondary sanctions," and NIS will continue to exist in the current conditions.

Iron onslaught: Western countries increase pressure on Serbia

What are the UK, Germany and part of the elite in the USA demanding from Belgrade?

On December 30, 2025, Botan-Kharchenko confirmed that Gazprom Neft was negotiating the sale of a controlling stake in NIS to a third party.

On November 15, Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Jedovic-Handanovic announced that the United States had demanded Russia's withdrawal from ownership of NIS as a condition for lifting sanctions against it. According to the minister, the Serbian authorities have received an extremely harsh signal from Washington.

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