Vucic faces EU backlash over planned attendance at Russia’s May 9 celebrations

Caliber ^ | 4/30/2025 | Tamilla Hasanova

[marcusmaximus]

The European Commission has issued a warning to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic that his expected visit to Russia for the May 9 Victory Day celebrations could seriously complicate Serbia’s accession process to the European Union.

European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos conveyed this message during her recent visit to Belgrade, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

According to European Commission spokesperson Guillaume Mercier, the warning was communicated directly to the Serbian president.

“We warned Serbia that a visit to Moscow could complicate the process of negotiations and preparations for joining the EU. We expect Serbia to confirm its strategic priorities,” Mercier told reporters during a briefing in Brussels on April 30.

He emphasised that the European Commission maintains a clear position that EU candidate countries "should not continue relations with Russia as if nothing has happened," referring to Moscow’s ongoing war against Ukraine.

Earlier, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas issued a broader warning, stating that EU leaders and candidates who decide to attend the May 9 event in Russia would face consequences. She stressed that attending such commemorations under the current geopolitical circumstances would be incompatible with the EU’s collective stance toward Moscow.

[LukeL]

So why are you so invested in this war? Why push Putin with Ukraine joining NATO?

[dfwgator]

I don’t like Tusk but he gets it.

Poland learned their lesson in 1939 and 1945, on what relying on Britain and France would get them.

[marcusmaximus]

From GROK:

Douglas Macgregor’s Role in the Kosovo War

Colonel Douglas Macgregor, a retired U.S. Army officer, played a significant role as a planner under General Wesley Clark during NATO’s 1999 air campaign against Serbia, known as Operation Allied Force. Specifically, Macgregor served as the Director of the Joint Operations Center at NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) during the Kosovo War. In this capacity, he was a key planner, contributing to the strategic and operational aspects of the 78-day bombing campaign aimed at halting ethnic cleansing in Kosovo by Serbian forces under Slobodan Milošević. His work involved coordinating and developing plans for the air operations, which were central to NATO’s strategy of using air power to pressure Serbia without deploying ground troops initially. For his contributions, Macgregor was awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal.

[BenLurkin]

What do Russia’s May 9 celebrations celebrate?

[marcusmaximus]

I don’t support Ukraine joining NATO. It was never a real consideration and Putin knew it.

[RAldrich]

Dawgangit! Hitler was supposed to take out the Commies and the Serbs, and now Russia wants to celebrate his defeat. Drat.

[BenLurkin]

Nato Bombing on Grdelica Bridge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6zKEUGsPCo

[Worldtraveler once upon a time]

--- "Poland learned their lesson in 1939 and 1945, on what relying on Britain and France would get them."

An excellent remembrance. One observes that "Britain and France" are still tyring to sell themselves, just as they have in the past.

[Robert DeLong]

Victory Day when the Russians defeated the Nazi’s, but then I’m sur e you know that. 🙂👍

[Verginius Rufus]

I think Serbia overestimates the extent to which Russia is their friend. Russia is their friend only when it serves Russia's interests. The Russian actions in 1914 did not help Serbia, which was overrun by Austria in the war. After the war Serbia got to annex Bosnia, Croatia, Slovenia, Vojvodina and Montenegro (the Kingdom of Serbia became the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes), but Russia was not involved in the Paris Peace Conference because the Bolsheviks had taken power by then.

In WWII the Russians supported the Communist Tito rather than the Serbian nationalist Chetniks.

[Verginius Rufus]

I thought the United States, the United Kingdom and some other countries were also involved in the defeat of Nazi Germany.

Truman proclaimed May 8 as V-E Day. (It also happened to be his birthday.)

[Robert DeLong]

It was exactly that conflict that opened the door for Russia to invade Ukraine, for it exposed that NATO was not just a defensive arrangement, which is why Russia was against NATO expansion into Ukraine, & Georgia. While Macgregor may have embraced it at that time, I also think it was a learning lesson for him as well.

But then again, it wasn't designated to be a proxy war either. Thus it was a NATO effort which increased the likelihood of success. Furthermore, Yugoslavia was not a nuclear power either. Lastly, Macgregor's focus was more on the restructuring of the U.S. Army and the strategic implications of the NATO intervention.

[Robert DeLong]

Of course, and it also included Canada, Australia & China. However, they were fighting the Nazi's in Russia, and for them May 9th was the day the Nazi's surrendered in defeat, and the fighting came to an end in Europe.

Can you imagine what might have been the outcome if Russia had not been invaded by Germany? Do not shortchange the importance of Russia's role in the victory in Europe. Just as Russia also, cannot shortchange America's role in the victory in Europe. Either one removed from participation in the world war might have produced a far different outcome. It may even hold true of the other nations arrayed with the Allied forces as well.

Just sayin'. All deserve to celebrate their efforts. 🙂👍

[Wallace T.]

I would not count the period when Russia was under Communist rule. By its ideology, Communism is anti-nationalist and, while Communists may encourage nationalism when it is in their interest, their primary goal is the promotion of Communism. In World War II, the Soviets supported the Communist enemies of the Croatians and the Germans, rather than the nationalist faction. Unfortunately for Stalin and his successors, Tito did not show his gratitude and did not join the Warsaw Pact, even though he was a Communist.

[Seruzawa]

Wait. It might be a good idea to maintain friendly relations with the nuclear power that’s merely a hop skip and a jump away. Ya think?

[Verginius Rufus]

Bosnia and most of Croatia was under a puppet regime installed by the Germans, the so-called Independent State of Croatia (the rest of Croatia was annexed by Mussolini). This had very little popular support. The leading Croatian politician, Vlatko Macek, refused to collaborate with the Germans and spent most of the war either in prison or under house arrest. He was a pacifist so did not try to organize an armed resistance movement. Over time a lot of Croats joined Tito's Partisans.

Tito was very pro-Stalin at first and wanted to imitate the Soviet Union but also wanted to develop Yugoslavia economically--but Stalin wanted Yugoslavia to be the source of raw materials for the USSR. Tito wasn't subservient enough so Stalin wanted to eliminate him. I think the Warsaw Pact was organized after the Tito/Stalin break (June 28, 1948).