MOSCOW (AP) – Russia said on Saturday it would return an Orthodox icon presented to Russia’s foreign minister in Bosnia, a gift that has sparked a protest from Ukraine.
Serbian three-member Bosnian President Milorad Dodik handed over the icon to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov when he visited Sarajevo earlier this week. The icon, believed to be 300 years old, is believed to have come from eastern Ukraine, where Russian-backed rebels have been fighting Ukrainian troops in a six-year conflict.
The Ukrainian embassy in Sarajevo has called for information on how the Bosnian Serb leader came to possess the icon, noting that the failure of the information would mean Bosnia would support “aggressive policy and military action.” of Russia in eastern Ukraine. Dozens of Serbs have fought alongside pro-Russian rebels in the conflict, which began in 2014.
On Saturday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said the icon would be returned to Bosnia pending an Interpol investigation to clarify its origins.