People gathered in the center of Belgrade on February 24 and marched to Republic Square, where they lit candles and held a minute of silence for the victims of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The Support Ukraine march event, held at the invitation of the Ukrainian Embassy to mark the second anniversary since the start of the war, drew people into the streets waving the flags of Ukraine and the European Union and displaying messages in support of peace.
Ukrainian Ambassador to Serbia Volodymyr Tolkach took part in the march along with the head of the delegation of the European Union, Emanuele Giofre, and the ambassadors of Sweden and Britain.
Tolkach said Ukraine is grateful to the international coalition that has helped the country survive over the past two years.
“Russia is ready for long and arduous war that will exhaust Ukraine, and if we want to fight against dictatorship and totalitarianism, we need to improve our efficiency. We should not let Ukraine to lose this war,” Tolkach said.
Giofre repeated the EU’s determination to stand by Ukraine.
"We are here to first of all pay respect to the many Ukrainians who have lost their lives, their loved ones in this horrible war, but also to pay respect to the resilience of the Ukrainian people that are standing tall in these difficult times, and to express our commitment to stand by them in the months and moments to come," Giofre said.
Elsewhere in Serbia, the anniversary was marked in Novi Sad by a march and the laying of flowers at memorials to victims of the war. A walk for peace in Ukraine and a free Russia organized by the Russian Democratic Society was also held in Belgrade. The group is made up of critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin and opponents of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Since the start of the war, Russian and Ukrainian anti-war activists in Serbia have organized a series of protests against it, but there also have been rallies in support of Russia organized by ultra-right groups, and Belgrade has expelled or banned several anti-war activists who fled Russia after the invasion.
Serbia joined the United Nations resolutions condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine and has said it respects Ukraine's territorial integrity, but it has also resisted EU pressure to join Western sanctions to punish Moscow for the war.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told TASS on February 20 that Belgrade is under great pressure from the West to impose sanctions Russia.
"We will try to defend our position as long as possible. We have been doing this for two years and I hope we will be able to continue,” Vucic said.