Vuciq won elections, promising EU membership, but Russian anthem issued in Belgrade

In the march where Serb and Soviet troops were honoured in World War II, someone carried the giant letter “Z” that became the symbol of the invasion of Ukraine -- and someone else carried a photograph of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Serbia, which was bombed by NATO two decades ago and has had close cultural ties with Russia for centuries, has avoided pressure to take sides following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, including Western calls to join sanctions against Moscow.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq, a former nationalist who has already become a powerful supporter of his country's EU membership, was re-elected at the helm of the country last month after a campaign where EU membership had declared it his priority. The new cabinet, which has not been established yet, is expected to exclude figures that openly support Moscow. /Periscopi/