The EC warned Vucic about the consequences of his visit to Moscow on May 9.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's trip to Moscow may have negative consequences for the country's accession to the European Union (EU). This was announced on April 30 by the representative of the European Commission (EC) Guillaume Mercier at a briefing in Brussels.

"His [Vucic's] participation in the event in Moscow will have implications for the path leading to the discussion of reforms and the next steps in negotiations," he is quoted as saying on the website of the EC audiovisual service.

Mercier added that EC enlargement commissioner Marta Kos explained to Vucic the consequences of his visit to Moscow. She warned the Serbian president that his visit on May 9 could negatively affect the possibility of the country joining the European Union.

"Serbia is discussing joining the European Union, and it needs to be a trustworthy partner and respect our principles and values," Mercier added.

Shame and fear: the West does not want to see its politicians celebrating the victory over Nazism

Recognizing Russia as the winner hurts

On April 16, Vucic announced that he was facing intense pressure due to his decision to travel to Russia for Victory Day, but would not cancel the visit. He added that he agreed to travel to Moscow because the Serbs are proud of their participation in the victory over Nazism.

Earlier, on April 14, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaya Kallas, warned European officials that if they visited Russia to participate in Victory Day celebrations, they would face consequences.

Commenting on this, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called her statement harsh and incorrect, and also noted that such threats should be assessed by those states to which they are addressed.