Serbia must decide whether it wants to join the European Union or enter a partnership with Russia, a German government spokesman said, Reuters reported.

The need to decide becomes critical due to geopolitical events, he said.

He said the agreement between Serbia and Russia to expand cooperation was met with surprise and disappointment and was not in line with expectations that EU accession candidates should also accept EU sanctions against Russia.

Serbia, an accession candidate since 2012, decided in September to hold regular foreign policy consultations on bilateral and multilateral activities with Russia. The move drew sharp criticism from the EU.

If Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic decides to lead his country toward the European Union, he will have the support of the German government, he said, adding that "if he decides to go the other way, it will have the opposite effect.