March of Solidarity with Ukraine Held in Belgrade, Prime Minister Opens Exhibition

Rally in Support of Ukraine (BETAPHOTO/AMIR HAMZAGIC)

A march of solidarity with Ukraine took place in Belgrade on Feb. 24, on the second anniversary of the beginning of the war in Ukraine, with participants walking in silence to the downtown Trg Republike square.

Among the dozens of people who marched were Ukrainian Ambassador to Serbia Volodymyr Tolkach, and representatives of the diplomatic corps and of the Ukrainian community. Also present were Pavle Grbovic, president of the Free Citizens' Movement, Dobrica Veselinovic of the Green-Left Front, Zoran Zivkovic, a former prime minister of Serbia, Dragan Sormaz, a former member of the Serbian Progressive Party, and the writer Marko Vidojkovic. The participants carried Ukrainian, Polish and European Union flags,  as well as a large banner reading "Ukraine will win."

In a speech in Trg Republike square, Tolkach said it was exactly two years since the time of trying to find compromise with the aggressor had ended for all Ukrainians, and that "it has been clear since 2014 and the revolution in Ukraine that we will not go back under Moscow's chains."

European Union Delegation to Serbia head Emanuele Giaufret said the day marked "the sad anniversary of the beginning of the third year of the war of aggression against Ukraine" and that it had been more than 730 days since Russia had begun systematically destroying civil infrastructure, power plants, hospitals, schools and cultural heritage. British Ambassador Edward Ferguson said that for two years Ukrainian families had been suffering under the terror and force of Russia's brutal invasion.

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said on Feb. 24 that Ukraine could count on Serbia's aid and support. Opening an exhibition at Belgrade's EU Info Center, Brnabic said Serbia supported Ukraine's bid to join the EU and was ready to help at the technical level.