Serbia's President Vučić visits Moscow amid EU criticism

Meanwhile, Serbian students running an ultramarathon reached Strasbourg on their way to Brussels, aiming to highlight Serbia's political situation to MEPs.

Just one day after the European Parliament adopted a stark resolution on Serbia's European integration, criticising the Western Balkan country's non-compliance with the EU's foreign policy, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić travelled to Moscow.Vučić's departure to the military parade on Red Square in honour of the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany was dramatic in its own right.First, Latvia banned the overflight of the Serbian government plane. Then the route was changed to Turkey and Azerbaijan, where the plane had to wait in Baku for permission to continue its journey. Upon his arrival in Moscow, Vučić stated that he knew that criticism from Brussels would follow, as well as that he expected the EU to "punish him, and not Serbia".'We were warmly welcomed'In a separate development, Serbian students running an ultramarathon reached Strasbourg. On Tuesday, the student protest movement, which started over the deadly train station awning collapse in Novi Sad in November 2024, requested snap parliamentary elections, which were supported by the majority of the opposition but not by the ruling party.This is the thirteenth stop of the ultramarathoners on their way to Brussels, where they should arrive next Monday, to present their view of the current political and social situation in Serbia to MEPs, to whom they will hand over the letters of their colleagues from Serbia.Previously, students travelled by bicycle from Belgrade to Strasbourg, all in an attempt to draw European officials' attention to the situation in Serbia."It wasn't hard and I think it shows in us. The road we ran and the landscapes we passed through are beautiful, both nature and people. Here, too, we were warmly welcomed," Maja, who studies at Belgrade High School, told Euronews. "The energy is incredible. This section was the most difficult for us, and I expect that the next few days will not be so strenuous, but we are ready for anything."