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Serbian President Vučić to Attend Moscow’s Victory Day Parade Despite EU Warnings

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Maryna_kulakova
Maryna Kulakova
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Serbian President Vučić to Attend Moscow’s Victory Day Parade Despite EU Warnings
Russian leader Vladimir Putin greets highest ranked officers during the Victory Day parade at Red Square on May 9, 2024 in Moscow, Russia. (Source: Getty Images)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has confirmed he will travel to Moscow to attend the May 9 Victory Day parade, defying calls from the European Union to stay away.

This was reported by the Associated Press on April 17.

“In the coming period, we will be under pressure regarding the event in Moscow in which we have announced our participation,” Vučić said.

EU officials had previously warned the Serbian president that attending the celebration could violate the bloc’s criteria for candidate countries and harm Serbia’s EU accession prospects. They stressed that the visit would be seen as a show of support for Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Nevertheless, Vučić confirmed that a Serbian military unit will participate in the May 9 parade on Moscow’s Red Square. He added that this would mark Serbia’s first time taking part in what he described as a “jointly organized” parade.

Alongside Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Milorad Dodik, President of Republika Srpska, an autonomous region within Bosnia and Herzegovina, are also expected to attend the May 9 parade in Moscow.

According to RTVI, leaders from China, Brazil, India, and other countries are likewise expected to be present for the event.

Earlier this week, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stressed that the bloc “made it very clear that we do not want any candidate country to participate in these events on the 9th of May in Moscow.”

While most Western countries mark the end of World War II on May 8, the Soviet Union chose to commemorate it on May 9, and Russia continues to do so today. The difference comes down to the time zones: Germany’s surrender was signed late in the evening on May 8 in Central Europe, but it was already after midnight on May 9 in Moscow.

Previously, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov announced that more than 20 heads of state and government are expected to attend the Victory Day Parade in Moscow on May 9.

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