- Vučić’s participation in Moscow’s May 9 parade could halt Serbia’s European integration
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić arrived in Moscow on May 7 to attend the May 9 parade. The Serbian leader was forced to fly via Bulgaria, Turkey, and Azerbaijan, as Latvia and Lithuania had closed their airspace for the president’s plane.
In a statement made from the Russian capital, Vučić stressed that, despite all the pressure, he would proudly represent Serbia on the 80th anniversary of the victory over fascism.
“Tens of millions of people died so that we could live today. We have no right to revise history. We have no right as a nation that has suffered a lot, a nation that has suffered both from the German-Nazi occupiers and from Nazi henchmen in the region. …I am proud to be a President of Serbia and to be able to attend the commemoration of the fight here against fascism because, if anyone has the right to be proud of this fight, it’s the Serbian people,” the Serbian leader emphasized.
Vučić admitted that he expected consequences for his decision to attend the Victory Parade in Moscow, adding that he is ready to accept any “punishment” from the European Union.
“I’m here to fight for my people and my country. I don’t care at all what anyone else in the world thinks or says. I was elected by the Serbian people, I was elected by the citizens of Serbia. I wasn’t elected in Riga, Tallinn, Vilnius, or elsewhere,” Vučić told Radio and Television of Serbia journalists, speaking from Moscow’s Red Square.
“I made a promise to President Putin, but I never lied about my visit,” the Serbian leader said, adding that he had openly announced his plans to travel to Moscow on May 9. “As for the European Union, I’m sure Serbia will stay on the European path. If they want to punish someone, let them punish me,” he added.
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At the same time, the rapporteur on Serbia in the European Parliament, Tonino Picula, is sure that Vučić’s visit to Moscow is undermining Serbia’s further movement towards the EU.
Speaking at a press conference in the European Parliament, Picula said the Serbian leadership claims that their goal is EU membership, which implies fulfilling the required criteria, but this is not the case, and that there are many ambiguous and contradictory statements coming from Belgrade, especially when it comes to foreign policy. “We believe that whoever claims that their country is democratic and has democratic and European aspirations cannot find themselves in a situation of participating in Putin’s Red Square parade,” Pizula said.
He stressed that the visit to Moscow is “a clear alliance with President Putin,” who “is abusing the important date of the victory over Nazism to spread his own narrative about the developments in Ukraine.”
“The path to Moscow is a crossroads. …President Vučić has given a clear answer to the EU institutions that Serbia in its current state is not capable of moving forward on the European path,” Picula told reporters.
According to the rapporteur, the visit “narrows the space for any European politicians who would like to soften the assessment of the situation in Serbia,” since “the Serbian world and the EU cannot be in the same boat.”
“If you side with Putin, this sends a clear signal to EU democracies. Further progress of Serbia toward the EU will be impossible,” MEP stressed. At the same time, according to the lawmaker, it is currently difficult to say whether Serbia’s European integration will be formally stopped or simply frozen, “as in the case of Georgia and Turkey.”
- Vučić’s scheduled meetings with Trump canceled
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić suddenly fell ill while in Florida (USA). Such reports came out on May 3, in the afternoon.
According to the official version, the Serbian President experienced severe chest pain and had high blood pressure. He sought medical attention and, following examination, interrupted his visit to the USA and returned to Serbia. Immediately after arriving in Belgrade, Vučić was hospitalized at the Military Medical Academy. A few hours later, he was discharged from hospital, and on May 7, he returned to office before flying off to Moscow.
It was previously announced that the Serbian President would meet with several senior Republican Party officials during his trip to the US. Vučić himself announced two meetings with U.S. President Donald Trump at various events. However, the Serbian president only managed to talk with former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.
Former Serbian diplomats, opposition figures, and regional media claimed that the visit was interrupted amid an exposure of Vučić’s failed attempt to attend a meeting of the Republican National Committee and a dinner for donors organized by the Trump team at Mar-a-Lago. According to politicians and journalists, the Serbian president intended to join the events in a private capacity and exploit that opportunity to secure an informal meeting with the American president, but was allegedly refused entry.
Later, a White House spokeswoman said in an interview with Pavlović today that the head of Trump’s staff never “prevented” President Vučić from attending the event at Mar-a-Lago, dismissing reports as “fake news”.
In any case, the announced meetings with Trump and high-ranking officials never took place.
Experts don’t rule out that Vučić’s plan was likely to first meet with the U.S. president and then travel to Moscow for the Victory Parade on May 9, thereby demonstrating his intention to maintain geopolitical balance. But this likely plan has apparently failed.
- Serbian students demand parliament dissolution
Students from all universities in Serbia participating in the protests are demanding the dissolution of the Serbian National Assembly and call for early parliamentary elections.
In their statement posted on social media, protesters also called on all citizens to support in the elections the political force the activists trust.
“We believe that democracy is the only right way to resolve a political crisis of such magnitude, therefore we call on the people to support the list in which the students blocking all higher educational facilities in Serbia will express their trust, so that truth prevails on the scales of justice,” the statement said.
The students also recalled that for more than five months, they had been intensively trying by all legal and peaceful means to ensure that their demands be met, but despite these efforts, this didn’t happen, and the government shows no initiative to this end. “The students’ movement initiated protests of unprecedented magnitude, showed that the voice of youth is not just some noise, but a force that can spark change, restore dignity, and awaken hope for justice and freedom, and proved that the sovereignty of our country is in the hands of the people. With a firm conviction in the rightfulness of our demands, we state that the roots of government corruption have penetrated too deeply into state institutions, which are thus hampered from independently fulfilling their duties,” the students’ statement said.
As is known, the main demands of the students participating in the protests include the publication of paperwork on the reconstruction of the Novi Sad train station, bringing to justice those responsible for the deadly tragedy there, an investigation into violence against protesters, an end to oppression, and increased funding for education. Students are also demanding an official investigation into the alleged use of sonic weapons against protesters in Belgrade this March.
The leader of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party, former Prime Minister Miloš Vučević, dismissed calls for early elections as “destructive”, and stated that “elections would only bring chaos”.
- European Parliament approves reports on European integration of Serbia, Kosovo
In two reports adopted on May 7, MEPs assessed the progress made by Kosovo and Serbia in their efforts to join the European Union in 2023 and 2024.
Kosovo has made notable progress in its electoral reforms, economic sustainability, and the protection of fundamental rights, say MEPs. However, challenges remain in judicial reform, media freedom, the effectiveness of public administration, and digitalization of public services. The report stresses that continued commitment to comprehensive reforms and inclusive governance is essential for Kosovo to move forward on its path toward European integration.
MEPs note that the dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade has unfortunately yielded no expected results, and call on both sides to implement the Brussels and Ohrid agreements, including the establishment of an Association/Community of Serb-majority Municipalities, and for Serbia to cease its opposition to Kosovo’s membership in regional and international organizations.
MEPs also note that Kosovo has been the target of foreign interference and disinformation campaigns, in particular by Russia and China, with the aim of destabilizing the region and undermining the European integration of the Western Balkans. The European Parliament therefore calls on the Kosovo government to strengthen its capacity to tackle such threats.
The report was adopted by 353 votes in favor, 145 against, and 78 abstentions.
Rapporteur Riho Terras (European People’s Party, Estonia) said: “It is clear that Kosovo’s integration process needs a new impetus – we need a new chapter in the negotiations between Pristina and Belgrade. It is extremely positive that all major parties in Kosovo strongly support EU integration. Kosovo’s future lies in the European family and we will work together on a reform agenda, as any future accession must be based on merit.”
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The report on Serbia notes that, despite some progress in the negotiations, Serbia still has major obstacles to overcome. MEPs say Belgrade needs to improve its internal political dialogue, uphold the rule of law, implement anti-corruption reforms, work toward a comprehensive agreement on the normalization of relations with Kosovo, and fully align its foreign policy with that of the EU. The European Parliament calls on Serbian authorities to ensure independence of key institutions, including media regulators such as the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM). Belgrade should also fully implement all outstanding recommendations from the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE/ODIHR) and Council of Europe bodies on electoral reform well before any new elections are held.
MEPs demand a full and transparent trial and official investigation into the collapse of the canopy at the Novi Sad rail station on 1 November 2024, as well as an impartial probe into the alleged use of “illegal riot control technology against protesters” (the so-called sonic cannon). While deploring the ongoing violence against students, MEPs are also deeply concerned about the growing political and financial pressure on teachers and university professors who support the students’ collective action.
The report was adopted by 419 votes to 113, with 88 abstentions.
Rapporteur Tonino Picula (Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, Croatia) said: “The long-standing political crisis, exacerbated by the lack of progress on fundamental criteria such as corruption, the rule of law, media freedom, and electoral reform, is directly affecting Serbia’s progress on the path to EU membership. For too long, Serbia has been trying to get the best EU funds while rejecting our core values and our geopolitical orientation. The enlargement process is based on merit and Serbia’s progress can have a positive impact on the region.”
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Slow reforms related to media freedom and the rule of law, as well as the lack of progress in normalization between Belgrade and Pristina, are common problems for Serbia and Kosovo, which are hindering European integration. At the same time, the inconsistency of Belgrade’s policy with the “core values” and “geopolitical orientation” of the European Union, in other words, the pro-Russian foreign policy of the Serbian authorities, is purely a problem for Serbia. MEPs stressed that without coordination of foreign policy with the EU, Serbia will not be able to ensure progress on the path to the EU.
Although the Report approved by the European Parliament is not a legally binding document, its political impact is significant.
- BiH seeing most serious crisis since Dayton
At a regular session of the UN Security Council, the High Representative of the international community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Christian Schmidt, presented a report on the situation in the country, warning that Bosnia and Herzegovina is going through the most difficult political crisis since the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement in 1995.
The report covers the period from 16 October 2024 to 15 April 2025. Schmidt assessed that the period covered was marked by “a significant increase in political tensions”, especially during the first quarter of 2025.
He drew particular attention to the actions of the President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, whom a court in February sentenced to 12 months in prison and a six-year ban on political activity for ignoring the High Representative’s decisions. According to the High Representative, since the verdict, Dodik has intensified his rhetoric on secession, and Republika Srpska has taken a number of legislative steps under his leadership that undermine the constitutional order of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The High Representative said people were increasingly asking him: “Mr. Schmidt, can you prevent another war?” His answer was emphatic: “The danger of war does not exist.” “This is an extraordinary crisis – the most severe since Dayton – but I still see no indications that it is a security crisis,” the High Representative said. “The people of BiH can live together. The communities do not support secessionism or extremism. You have plenty of evidence of that. The international community must help these people and show that they are not forgotten,” he said.
Shortly after Schmidt started to read his report, Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia walked out of the session hall in protest against the High Representative. “I do not recognize the legitimacy of Christian Schmidt as High Representative, as the Security Council has never officially approved him. He can only be present as a private individual. I don’t want to listen to his biased views,” Nebenzia said before leaving the meeting.
- Croatia to allocate 3% of GDP for defense by 2030
This was announced by Croatian Defense Minister Ivan Anušić, who participated in the Defense24Days conference on defense and security in Central and Eastern Europe in Warsaw.
In his speech at the panel titled “New Foundations of the Defense System. Rearmament of Europe as a Chance for Arms Independence,” the minister emphasized Croatia’s role in Southeast Europe, describing the region as potentially dangerous. The stability of Southeast Europe is a priority for Croatia, Anušić emphasized.
“Croatia has the experience of the Patriotic War, which we don’t want to repeat. Our goal is a stable and safe environment, which means peace and security in Southeast Europe,” he emphasized.
According to the Croatian minister, Russian aggression may not end in Ukraine. According to him, the current international situation is extremely dangerous, and there is no time for deeper reflection. “We are in a race against time and responsible for the security of our countries and peoples, so we must accelerate the armament process,” Anušić said.
He emphasized that the Croatian government had decided to increase funding for its armed forces in recent years, in particular by allocating significant funds for army modernization, including through purchases from France (Rafale jets) and Turkey (Bayraktar drones). Attention is also being paid to developing air defense capabilities in cooperation with the United States.
According to the minister, Croatia’s defense spending has already reached “two percent of GDP,” and by 2030, Croatia “will allocate three percent of GDP.”
He added that he would like Croatia to move toward developing its own arms industry and build on Poland’s experience in this regard. “Croatia sees Poland, with which we have excellent bilateral relations, as an excellent ally and partner with whom we can develop joint projects when it comes to the development of the defense industry,” Anušić noted.
The main topics of the panel included the security situation in Europe since Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the countries’ efforts to modernize their armed forces, and the ReArm Europe plan.
In March, the European Commission announced the ReArm Europe plan, which envisages an increase in defense spending by 1.5 percent of the annual GDP of member states. The Croatian Defense Minister emphasized that the plan “should not remain just a good story, but become a concrete project for creating European independence in the security field.”
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It is not ruled out that in the future, cooperation between Zagreb and Warsaw in the military field could become the basis for a defense union in the Three Seas region.
