EU member states have threatened to derail Serbia’s bid to join the bloc if President Aleksandar Vucic attends World War II Victory celebrations in Russia next month, the Financial Times and The Telegraph reported on Tuesday.
Moscow will host its annual military parade on Red Square on May 9 to mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany and its allies. Vucic confirmed on Monday that he plans to attend.
EU officials have told Serbia that Vucic’s trip “would breach their membership criteria,” according to The Telegraph. Serbia was granted EU candidate status in 2012.
Top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas said on Monday that the bloc does “not want any candidate country to take part in the May 9 events in Moscow.”
“We need to ensure that they understand that certain decisions come at a cost,” Jonatan Vseviov, the chancellor of Estonia’s Foreign Ministry, said. “The consequence is them not joining the European Union,” he added, calling it “an important litmus test.”
Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze said EU foreign ministers gave Serbian officials “very clear guidance” to avoid the Victory Day celebrations in Russia.
Meanwhile Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova referred to the pressure campaign as “a revival of Euro-Nazism.”
Serbia and Russia have maintained close ties since the 19th century. Belgrade has refused to send weapons to Ukraine and has criticized the EU sanctions on Moscow. Vucic has stressed the importance of friendly relations with Russia and argued that the Ukraine conflict should be resolved through diplomacy.
Support for Vucic
Meanwhile in Serbia tens of thousands of people have been gathering in Belgrade since Friday to show support for President Aleksandar Vucic in the face of significant anti-government protests in Serbia.
Student-led demonstrations against alleged corruption and government negligence have been ongoing in the country for months. The protests, sparked by the deadly collapse of a concrete canopy at the railway station in the city of Novy Sad in November 2024, culminated in a massive rally in Belgrade on March 15, which was followed by clashes between dozens of protesters and the police.
During the demonstrations filmed by RT on Saturday Vucic declared that “the color revolution is over,” adding that “they can walk as much as they wish, but nothing will come out of that.”
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban addressed the rally via video link, stating, “Serbian patriots can count on their Hungarian counterparts.”
Now it remains to be seen on which side Vucic will lean, the EU has been pressuring Serbia incessantly, on the other hand Belgrade has historically shared an excellent relationship with Moscow over the years. Vucic himself is considered a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Now he will be pulled from both sides and will have to chose his next move very carefully.
