European Commission/PHOTO/Guillaume Périgois
The European Commission expressed regret on May 9 over Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s participation in a military parade in Moscow, warning that Serbia had to reaffirm its strategic orientation toward the European Union and demonstrate a credible commitment to European values.
When asked for a comment by N1 TV, the Commission explained that the EU had been "crystal clear" with its partners, including candidates for EU membership like Serbia, that maintaining normal relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime was unacceptable amid Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war against Ukraine.
“The proper place to show support for peace on May 9 is Kyiv, not Moscow,” the Commission stated. “We strongly regret that Serbian leaders have visited Moscow and participated in celebrations related to World War II, which Russia is using for propaganda purposes. Serbia must once again convince us of its strategic EU orientation and show a genuine commitment to European values.”
The Commission further stressed the need to “avoid giving legitimacy to Putin’s war of aggression.” President Vucic attended the May 9 military parade on Red Square alongside President Vladimir Putin and the leaders of over 20 countries, marking Victory Day over fascism in World War II. Among the participants were Zeljka Cvijanovic, the Serb member of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Presidency, and Milorad Dodik, President of Republika Srpska. As for the leaders of the 27 EU member states, only Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico attended the event in Moscow.
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