Lithuania and Latvia close airspace to Serbian President Vucic ahead of planned May 9 Moscow visit

Latvia and Lithuania have banned Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s aircraft from flying through their airspace due to the “political sensitivity of the flight’s purpose” and “technical and diplomatic sensitivities,” according to reports by the Serbian outlets Novosti and Kurir.

It was also reported that airspace over Poland and Lithuania was denied to Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico. Both Vucic and Fico are listed by the Kremlin among the foreign leaders expected to attend the May 9 Victory Day celebrations in Moscow, which will include a military parade on Red Square.

On May 2, Vucic cut short his visit to the United States following a sharp deterioration in his health. According to unofficial sources, the president sought medical attention and, after being examined, decided to return to Serbia immediately. At the time his condition worsened, Vucic was accompanied by Finance Minister Sinisa Mali and media advisor Suzana Vasiljevic. They had been preparing for high-level meetings after discussions with Congresswoman Claudia Tenney, former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, and several Serbian entrepreneurs residing in the U.S.

Richard Grenell, Donald Trump’s special envoy for special assignments, confirmed that Vucic was canceling the remainder of his U.S. trip due to health reasons.

Following a medical examination, cardiologist Dragan Dincic stated that the Serbian president had suffered a spike in blood pressure and advised him to rest. According to the doctor, the head of state will not be able to carry out his official duties in the coming days. As a result, Vucic’s planned trip to Moscow is now in doubt. Nevertheless, just one day before falling ill, he had pledged to travel to Russia “even if they put me in chains.”

At the end of April, Vucic held a meeting with EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, who officially warned him that a visit to Moscow would complicate Serbia’s path to joining the European Union.

In September 2024, Vucic was similarly indecisive about whether he would attend the BRICS summit in Kazan at the invitation of Vladimir Putin. Ultimately, citing important meetings at home, the Serbian president declined to travel to Russia, instead sending in his place Aleksandar Vulin, who at the time was a Minister without portfolio but has since left office.