US sanctions loom: Serbia is exploring alternative routes for oil and gas supplies.

The United States is considering the possibility of imposing sanctions on the Serbian oil and gas company NIS due to its Russian ownership. In response, Serbia plans to establish a Coordination Body to ensure stable supplies of oil and gas to address this issue.

This was reported by Radio Liberty.

According to the publication, the Coordination Body will be headed by Serbian Prime Minister Miloš Vučević. Its task will be to coordinate the work of groups monitoring the situation regarding sanctions and the supply of natural gas from Russia to Serbia.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić previously stated that he expects to receive an official document from the U.S. regarding the sanctions against NIS around January 10 or 13. He also confirmed that U.S. Deputy Secretary of State José Fernández expressed the intention to impose direct sanctions on the company.

The publication notes that since 2008, the majority of NIS shares have been owned by Gazprom Neft and Gazprom, which increases the risk of sanctions being applied.

Background. Previously, Mind reported that The U.S. is preparing sanctions against Serbian NIS, which is controlled by Gazprom. President Vučić announced negotiations on this matter with the Russian Federation, the U.S., and other interested parties.