Vucic and Fico will travel to Moscow for an event at which the Kremlin wants to increase support for the war in Ukraine

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico have confirmed in a joint conference that they will visit Moscow in May for a commemoration of the Second World War. This visit by Vucic marks his first trip to Russia since the invasion of Ukraine.

Vucic made the announcement in a public speech at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin to the event.

“If the end of the world doesn’t happen – I’m not so sure anymore, but I hope it doesn’t happen – it would be a great honor for me to be in Red Square for the 80th anniversary of the liberation from fascism,” Vučić said.

The Serbian president said at the conference that he had also discussed the event with Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, who “will also be present”.

The Kremlin said it wanted to make May 9 the “biggest celebration in its history” and advocate “patriotic and military values to gain support for the conflict in Ukraine”.

Serbia has been a candidate for EU membership since 2012 and its officials emphasize that the European path is the country’s strategic priority.

However, Serbia maintains close ties with Russia, both politically and economically, and relies almost exclusively on Russian gas.

Brussels has repeatedly expressed its concern about Belgrade’s relations with Moscow and called on Serbia to bring its foreign and security policy in line with Europe.

During a visit to Belgrade at the end of October, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen canceled talks with Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic because of his earlier meeting with a Russian minister.

Fico, on the other hand, is pursuing a similar course to Hungary’s autocratic leader, Viktor Orban, despite being prime minister of an EU member state.

Fico admires both Vladimir Putin, who says he would not allow the Russian president to be arrested on an international arrest warrant if he came to Slovakia, and Hungary’s illiberal leader Viktor Orbán, “who defends the interests of the country, him and his people”.

Before taking office, Fico took advantage of the pronounced pro-Russian sentiment in Slovakia to undermine the government’s pro-Western course.

/TheGeopost/