On August 8, fans of the Serbian football club Crvena Zvezda unfurled a poster against the visit of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky to Serbia. During a match against Novi Pazar, the banner displayed the text: “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 match occurred on the same day as Zelensky’s meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. Former Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Vulin noted that Zelensky’s visit did not align with Serbian citizens’ wishes, while the opposition parliamentary group “We are the Power of the People” stated it would deal a serious blow to Serbia-Russia relations. Political analyst Nikolai Mezhevich characterized Zelensky’s trip as primarily for public relations purposes.
