Russia May Join Serbia-Kosovo Talks If U.S. Does, Blic Reports

(Bloomberg) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin told Serbia’s leader Aleksandar Vucic that his administration might join talks to resolve a dispute between the Balkan country and neighboring Kosovo should the U.S. do the same, Blic newspaper reported, citing a source it didn’t identify.

Putin told Vucic during a meeting that he doubts the European Union has the strength to help reach a deal, the Belgrade-based newspaper reported. The EU is brokering negotiations between Kosovo and Serbia and the two countries need to resolve their disputes to be able to join the world’s biggest trading bloc.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, with U.S. backing, and gained recognition from more than 100 countries. Serbia, aided by Russia and China, refuses to recognize Kosovo as a sovereign state and has blocked membership in the United Nations and other global organizations.

To contact the reporter on this story: Misha Savic in Belgrade at msavic2@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Balazs Penz at bpenz@bloomberg.net, Niveditha Ravi, Andre Janse van Vuuren

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