Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic confirmed on April 23 that he will attend Russia’s Victory Day military parade in Moscow on May 9, despite warnings from the European Union that the visit could jeopardise Serbia’s long-stalled path toward EU membership.

The announcement comes amid increasing friction between Serbia and the EU, with Brussels warning that Vucic’s presence at the May 9 parade could effectively end Serbia’s European integration process.

Vucic said he would “proudly represent Serbia” at the 80th anniversary commemorations marking the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. Speaking on Pink TV, the president emphasised that his decision to travel to Moscow was made months ago. 

“As early as eight months ago, I said I will be going to Moscow... I will probably be going alone because others cannot take that risk. I do not want the government of Djuro Macut to pay a price,” Vucic said.

Vucic reaffirmed his intention to discuss key bilateral issues with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the visit, including a new gas supply deal and the future of the Russian-owned Serbian oil company NIS, which is currently under threat of US sanctions.

In response to the EU warnings, Russia’s foreign ministry accused the bloc of “Euronazism” over what it called symbolic coercion. “If this is the case, then Euronazism is being revived before our eyes,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on April 15, according to Russian state news agency TASS.

The foreign policy divide between Belgrade and Brussels has grown increasingly stark since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. While Serbia has condemned the war in international forums, it has stopped short of imposing sanctions on Moscow, citing historical ties and energy dependence, as well as its own experience with sanctions in the 1990s.

Vucic’s decision to attend the parade follows a recent meeting between Putin and Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch Porfirije in Moscow. Putin described ties with Serbia as “the warmest and closest among allied nations” and welcomed Vucic’s upcoming visit.

Despite Serbia’s formal EU candidacy since 2012, frustration has mounted in Belgrade over what is seen as shifting EU accession criteria and prolonged delays. A growing segment of the Serbian public and political elite view the process as increasingly unlikely to yield full membership — making EU threats over the May 9 parade futile.

Meanwhile, divisions within the EU threaten to blunt its influence. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who met Putin in December, has also expressed his intention to attend the Moscow parade — undermining Brussels’ efforts to present a united front on Russia. 

Serbia’s foreign policy since 2008 has been marked by a balancing act between East and West. While officially pursuing EU membership, Belgrade has long sought to maintain cooperative relations with Russia, China, the United States and non-aligned nations across the Global South.

EU leaders are expected to visit Belgrade in the coming weeks, including Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos at the end of April. Vucic has said he also plans meetings with senior US Republican figures and EU officials ahead of his Moscow trip.

The EU insists Serbia must toe the line on foreign policy and push through reforms — like bolstering the rule of law, tackling corruption and mending ties with Kosovo — before talks of membership can move forward. But with the enlargement project widely viewed as dead in the water, Vucic has little to lose.