Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic departed for Moscow on May 7 to attend Russia’s Victory Day celebrations, defying European Union warnings that the visit could further derail Serbia’s stalled path toward EU membership.

Vucic is set to participate in the May 9 parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two. The Kremlin said on May 6 that he and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico will be the only European leaders in attendance.

The visit underscores Serbia’s increasingly ambivalent stance toward the EU and highlights the bloc’s waning leverage in the Western Balkans. Serbia, an EU candidate since 2012, has not aligned with EU sanctions on Moscow following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and pursues friendly ties with EU foes and competitors such as China.

Vucic’s trip faced logistical delays after his aircraft made an emergency landing in Baku, Azerbaijan, early on May 7 due to airspace restrictions reportedly tied to the war in Ukraine. Serbian media said the president was expected to arrive in Moscow later in the day. Russia blamed Poland and the Baltic states for the restrictions, calling the bans “absurd”.

The Kremlin confirmed that Vucic will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin during the visit. Discussions are expected to focus on regional political issues and energy cooperation. Serbia remains heavily dependent on Russian gas supplies and its largest oil company, NIS, is majority-owned by Gazprom and its subsidiary Gazprom Neft.

The trip follows a brief hospitalisation for Vucic on May 3 due to high blood pressure, which forced him to cut short a visit to the United States. He resumed public engagements on Wednesday morning, meeting with the UK and Russian ambassadors in Belgrade before departing for Moscow.

Victory Day has taken on heightened political significance in Russia in recent years. The Kremlin has increasingly used the occasion to frame its actions in Ukraine as a continuation of its historic fight against fascism. This year’s parade will also host leaders from China, Brazil, India and Slovakia.

Brussels has voiced strong concern over Vucic’s attendance, warning that the move could further strain Serbia’s already slow-moving path toward EU membership. Serbia has not opened a new accession chapter since 2021, and key reforms in areas such as the rule of law, media freedom and democratic governance have seen limited progress.

The EU’s influence in the Western Balkans has weakened amid growing enlargement fatigue and a lack of concrete incentives. In response, Serbia has increasingly broadened its foreign policy orientation, strengthening ties with non-Western countries including Russia, China, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

Vucic continues to affirm that EU accession remains Serbia’s strategic goal. However, the government’s actions reflect a more balanced foreign policy, aimed at maintaining relations with both Western and non-Western partners.

More than 20 years after the EU’s 2003 Thessaloniki Summit pledged eventual membership for the Western Balkans, six countries, including Serbia, remain outside the bloc. The slow pace of integration has contributed to regional frustration and opened the door for greater geopolitical competition.