Heads of state and diplomacy Jakov Milatovic i Ervin Ibrahimovic (yet) have not been invited to the military parade that is scheduled to take place on May 9 in Moscow, on the occasion of Victory over Fascism Day, while the Presidents of the Parliament and the Government Andrija Mandic i Milojko Spajic They are silent about whether they have received an invitation to attend the ceremony in the Russian capital, and if so, whether they will accept it.
"Vijestima" is from the office of the President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatović It was unofficially stated that the head of state did not receive an invitation from the Kremlin, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MVP) officially told the newspaper the same. They stated that they would decide on all invitations when and if they were sent to them, and that Ibrahimović, "in accordance with his foreign policy commitment and the current situation," would certainly not attend the event in Moscow.
Asked if they had information about whether any other Montenegrin officials or politicians would be in Russia on May 9th, they said that they could only provide answers for their own department, and that other institutions should be asked about that.
When asked whether they had sent invitations to the ceremony in Moscow to Montenegrin statesmen and politicians, neither the Russian Embassy in Podgorica nor the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to "Vijesti".
Vujanović, Roćen, Knežević were in Moscow...
Montenegro imposed sanctions on Russia in 2014 after Moscow forcibly annexed Crimea, and in 2022 joined the European Union (EU) sanctions imposed on the country over its invasion of Ukraine, which include travel bans on Russian officials, asset freezes, and restrictions on the financial and energy sectors. In response, Russia has imposed countermeasures, including banning Montenegrin politicians and diplomats from entering the country. In addition, Moscow has placed Montenegro on a list of so-called “enemy states.”
The May 9th military parade is the central event marking Victory Day over fascism in World War II, and since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, it has taken on an additional political and propaganda character. According to the BBC, in recent years, the parade has been increasingly instrumentalized to strengthen domestic support for the war, using rhetoric about the "denazification" of Ukraine as a continuation of the Soviet struggle from 1945.
The Associated Press (AP) reports that the parades have become much more modest in logistical terms: the number of troops and equipment has been reduced, and in some years even the air force has not flown over. The media outlet also reports that the "Immortal Regiment" procession, during which citizens traditionally carry photographs of their ancestors from the war, has also been suspended for security reasons, which some analysts interpret as the authorities' fear of potential protests.
The parade in Moscow in 2010 was attended by the then President of Montenegro Filip Vujanovic and former Minister of Foreign Affairs Milan Rocen. Vujanović accepted the invitation of the Russian president in 2015. Vladimir Putin to attend the parade, but did not go to Moscow. A statement from Vujanović's cabinet at the time stated that it was not natural for the head of state to ignore the celebration in his own country, after the Union of Associations of Fighters of the National Liberation War (NOR) and Anti-Fascists proposed that the 70th anniversary of the victory over fascism be marked in Montenegro as well.
Leader of the Democratic People's Party (DNP) Milan Knezevic, Deputy Prime Minister Budimir Aleksic, former leader of Budva and accused member of the police drug cartel Milo Bozovic and the first man of the Montenegrin metropolis of tourism Nikola Jovanovic were in Moscow in 2017, former head of the Socialist People's Party (SNP) Srdjan Milic 2015, President of the Democratic Unity Party Nebojsa Juskovic 2018 ...
The president of the extra-parliamentary Free Montenegro will attend the military parade this year. Vladislav Dajkovic.
"No one can stop me from being where I feel I belong. I don't care what the official policy is, I follow the path and spirit of our ancestors," he told "Vijesti", without specifying who invited him and when.
Leader of True Montenegro Marko Milacic and the president of the SNP Vladimir Jokovic They told "Vijesti" that they had not received an invitation. Milačić stated that, if it arrived, he would "go without a doubt", while Joković said that he had not been invited in previous years, and that, if that happened, he would make a decision about participating.
Milan Knežević did not respond to messages from "Vijesti" journalists.
Kalas: We will not take our presence in Moscow lightly
High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission (EC) Kaya Callas she recently told reporters in Luxembourg, after a meeting of EU foreign ministers, that various member states had made it very clear that any participation in the May 9 parades or celebrations in Moscow would not be "taken lightly" by the European side, given that Russia is waging an "all-out war" in Europe.
Kallas also announced that they have made it clear that they do not want any candidate country to participate in the events in Moscow on May 9, calling on member states to send their representatives to Kiev to show solidarity with Ukraine.
Brussels-based Politiko wrote on Monday that the Ukrainian President's government Volodymyr Zelensky invited high-ranking European officials to Kiev on May 9th, in response to the parade in Moscow.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrija Sibiha He called on his EU counterparts, telling them to “show their unity and determination in the face of the greatest aggression in Europe since World War II.”
Despite Kalas' messages, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said he would attend the parade in Moscow, and the president of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian entity Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik he previously announced that he would be in the Russian capital on May 9. The cabinet of the pro-Russian Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban, announced that the Hungarian Prime Minister would not be at the parade.
Serbia cannot join the EU if Vučić goes to Moscow?
Serbia could be blocked in the EU accession process if its President Aleksandar Vučić is in Russia on May 9, writes the British "Telegraph".
Russian state media reports that Vučić will be one of the senior foreign officials attending the parade.
In response, EU officials warned Vučić that his visit would violate the criteria for membership in the community and hinder his country's ambitions to join it, according to the Telegraph.
“We need to make sure they understand that certain decisions come with consequences,” said Jonatan Vseviov, Secretary General of the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"The consequence would be that they would not become a member of the EU," he added.
Vsevio stated that the Russians were “working hard to bring people” to Moscow on May 9th.
"This will be an important test for us. Basically, what we will be looking at is whether they are on our side or playing on the other team's side," he said.
Peskov: More than 80 world leaders are coming
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that more than 80 world leaders are expected to be in Moscow on May 9.
"We will be glad to see everyone here who is ready to celebrate this great date with us. This is especially important now that Nazism is resurgent in Europe and when we do not see any desire in Europe to eradicate it immediately," he said.
Peskov stated that, in addition to Vučić, the presidents of China Xi Jinping, Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro, Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico will be in Moscow...
The ceremony in Moscow is expected to be attended by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, as well as the leaders of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan...
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