Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic unfurled a double Serbian-Russian flag during a football match on Saturday, according to a video circulating on social media.
Vucic and Milorad Dodik, the president of Republika Srpska – one of the predominantly Serb regions within Bosnia and Herzegovina – attended a match between Switzerland and Serbia in the Serbian town of Leskovac.
According to a video clip shared by Dodik, the two leaders, along with numerous government officials attending the match, rose from their seats as the Serbian national anthem was played. Moments afterwards, Dodik took up a flag of Republika Srpska, while Vucic, who was seated next to him, promptly followed suit, pulling a short banner with a Serbian and Russian flag from his pocket. The two flags have the same colors, but in a different order.
The match between Serbia and the Swiss team, which included several Kosovo-born players, ended in a 2-0 victory for the hosts.
Vucic’s gesture attracted some criticism on social media, with the leader of the Republican Party of Serbia Nikola Sandulovic describing it as a clear message to the Serbian people that Vucic is and will be an ally of Russia, “especially now that we are trying to be Russia’s ‘Trojan horse’ in the West.”
While the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has not completely banned Russian flags from sports events, it made an exception for matches involving the Ukrainian national team due to concerns that the tricolor could be regarded as “provocative.” All Russian teams have been banned from UEFA events since the start of the Ukraine conflict.
Serbia, which has close ties with Russia, has consistently defied Western pressure to join sanctions against Moscow over the Ukraine crisis. Vucic has also repeatedly called for an immediate ceasefire between Moscow and Kiev.