EU May Block Serbia’s Membership Bid if It Joins Russia’s Victory Day Parade

Moscow, April 16, 2025:The European Union may block Serbia’s path to membership if it decides to participate in Russia’s upcoming Victory Day celebrations, as Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly invited Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić as the event’s chief guest.

The May 9 celebrations will commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany and the Axis powers in World War II. The occasion will feature Russia’s traditional military parade at Red Square, paying tribute to the Red Army’s efforts and honoring the memory of fallen soldiers.

To the EU’s disapproval, Vučić has reportedly accepted the invitation, according to The Telegraph.
In response, European officials have cautioned that such a move would violate the EU’s criteria for accession and could seriously jeopardize Serbia’s candidacy.

Jonatan Vseviov, Chancellor of Estonia’s Foreign Ministry, warned, “We must be clear—choices have consequences. Should Vučić attend the Moscow parade, it could effectively disqualify Serbia from EU membership. The Kremlin is actively trying to involve foreign leaders in the event, and for us, this will serve as a critical test of allegiance.”

The EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, confirmed that the matter was discussed during a recent meeting of EU foreign ministers.
She said, “Multiple member states made it clear that participation in Moscow’s May 9 event is unacceptable in the context of Russia’s ongoing war in Europe.”

Kallas also called on EU nations to avoid sending official delegations to the parade and instead urged them to visit Kyiv more frequently to express solidarity with Ukraine.
“This is a time to show where we stand,” she said.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova slammed the EU’s stance, calling it “a revival of Euro-Nazism,” according to RT.

Despite officially condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Serbia has taken a non-aligned approach, refraining from supplying weapons to Ukraine or supporting EU sanctions against Moscow. EU officials note that Serbia continues to maintain strong ties with Russia, and its overall position is seen as ambivalent, if not implicitly pro-Russian.