BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbia’s populist president said Wednesday that he hasn’t changed his mind about attending Vladimir Putin ’s victory day parade in Moscow next month despite great pressure from the European Union over his decision.
European officials have warned Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic that his visit to Moscow for the World War II commemorations would be a breach of the bloc’s membership criteria for potential new members and could derail the country’s declared EU ambitions.
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Protesting Serbian university students who rode bicycles from Novi Sad, Serbia, arrive the heart of the European Union to seek support, Tuesday, April 15, 2025 in Strasbourg, eastern France. (AP Photo/Antonin Utz)
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic speaks during a public address in Belgrade, Serbia, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic speaks during a public address in Belgrade, Serbia, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic speaks during a public address in Belgrade, Serbia, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
The visit would also effectively amount to a show of support for Putin and Moscow’s war against Ukraine.
Vucic, who has often expressed pro-Russian views, has said that one of Serbia’s military units would be participating in the May 9 parade on the Red Square in the Russian capital. He also said that for the first time Serbia is taking part in “jointly” organizing the parade.
“In the coming period, we will be under pressure regarding the event in Moscow in which we have announced our participation," Vucic told reporters.
Earlier this week, EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the bloc "made it very clear that we do not want any candidate country to participate in these events on the 9th of May in Moscow.”
Though he claims he wants to take Serbia to the EU, Vucic has maintained close relations with Russia and refused to introduce Western sanctions against Moscow, policies that have almost completely stalled the Balkan country's accession talks with the 27-nation bloc.
Vucic has said he would travel to Moscow with his right-wing ally, Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico. The Slovakian leader has branded as “disrespectful” remarks by Kallas warning European leaders against traveling to Moscow.
Bosnian Serb separatist leader Milorad Dodik has said he will also be attending.
At home, Vucic has faced massive student-led anti-corruption protests that have seriously shaken his autocratic 13-year rule. They started soon after the Nov. 1 rail station canopy collapse in the northern town of Novi Sad that killed 16 people. The collapse has been linked to murky deals with Chinese and other construction firms building in the Balkan country.
Also on Wednesday, Serbian parliament approved a new government packed with anti-EU ministers, including Information Minister Boris Bratina who has been shown recently setting an EU flag on fire and chanting “we don't want the EU, we want union with Russia.”
The previous government collapsed under protesters' pressure.
At the same news conference on Wednesday, Vucic cited a report by Russia's spy agency, FSB, which claimed that widespread reports that the authorities used a sonic devise to target massive and peaceful anti-Vucic protests on March 15 in Belgrade are fake.
Sonic weapons, which use sound waves to incapacitate a person, have been used as crowd control devices.
“The Russian FSB categorically concluded that there was no use of any sonic weapons,” Vucic said. He did not elaborate how FSB had concluded this or whether the agency investigated the alleged incident in Belgrade.
Protesting Serbian university students who rode bicycles from Novi Sad, Serbia, arrive the heart of the European Union to seek support, Tuesday, April 15, 2025 in Strasbourg, eastern France. (AP Photo/Antonin Utz)
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic speaks during a public address in Belgrade, Serbia, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic speaks during a public address in Belgrade, Serbia, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic speaks during a public address in Belgrade, Serbia, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Josh Allen took a pounding, doled out punishment and delivered Buffalo its first road playoff victory in more than three decades, 27-24 over Jacksonville in the AFC's wild-card opener Sunday.
With linebacker Devin Lloyd bearing down on him, Allen found Brandin Cooks for 36 yards just before the two-minute warning and then capped the go-ahead drive with a 1-yard touchdown run in which Jacksonville let him score.
On the play before his score, Allen gained 10 yards on a sneak, refusing to go down while being pushed and pulled to the goal line.
“Just trusting everybody on the field,” Allen said. "Great win, great team win. All we’ve got to do is play our game, find a way to win a football game. We’re on to the next.”
Buffalo will play at Denver or New England next week, a chance to build a road winning streak after a decades-long skid.
“We got to go do it again. We got to go do it again," Allen said.
Focused on getting rid of the ball quickly and negating Jacksonville’s pass rush most of the game, Allen completed 28 of 35 passes for 273 yards and a touchdown. He ran for two scores, was sacked just once and played turnover-free football. Khalil Shakir caught 12 passes for 82 yards for the Bills.
It was necessary considering NFL rushing leader James Cook was mostly bottled up, finishing with 46 yards on 15 carries.
“You know, we’re going to play for each other, we’re gonna fight to the very last second, and you saw that here today,” Allen said.
Buffalo (13-5) intercepted a deflected pass on Jacksonville’s final drive to seal the victory.
The Bills had been 0-5 on the road in the playoffs under coach Sean McDermott, starting with a 10-3 loss at Jacksonville in the 2017 wild-card round. The Bills had dropped eight consecutive postseason games on the road since winning at Miami in the 1992 AFC championship game. It had been the NFL’s second-longest, active road playoff skid.
The Jaguars (13-5) took the lead with 4:03 to play on Trevor Lawrence’s third TD pass of the game, but they couldn’t hold it against the NFL’s reigning MVP.
Lawrence completed 18 of 30 passes for 207 yards, with TD throws to Brian Thomas Jr., Parker Washington and Travis Etienne. Washington finished with seven catches for 107 yards.
Coach Liam Coen surely will get questioned for not running the ball more against one of the league’s most porous run defenses.
Etienne and rookie Bhayshul Tuten combined for 118 yards on just 14 carries.
Allen, meanwhile, showed his toughness. He twice ended up in the medical tent in the first half but didn’t miss a snap. He got hammered in the head twice during one play, with Josh Hines-Allen landing on the side of his helmet right after teammate Travon Walker tackled him to the ground. His left ear appeared to be bleeding, but he got checked out and returned.
Allen later slammed his right hand into the helmet of right guard O’Cyrus Torrence after releasing the ball. And he completed the injury trifecta when his left leg got bent awkwardly on his 2-yard TD run.
Allen stayed on the ground following that last hit from Hines-Allen and gingerly walked to the sideline and back into the tent. But, as usual, the 6-foot-5, 237-pounder powered through and was back on the field making plays.
The Jaguars had a chance to tie the game at the end of the first half, but Cam Little was wide left on a 54-yarder. The miss ended a streak of 20 consecutive field goals made for the second-year pro from Arkansas.
Little kicked the two longest field goals in NFL history this season — a 68-yarder at Las Vegas and a 67-yarder last week against Tennessee.
He got a chance after the Bills were flagged for being offside following a 34-yard completion that got Little into range.
Bills S Jordan Poyer (hamstring) was ruled out to start the third quarter, a huge loss for an already banged-up secondary. It left the Bills to play with rookie Jordan Hancock and second-year Cole Bishop. WR Gabe Davis, who played for Jacksonville last season, injured his left knee in the fourth and was carted to the locker room and ruled out. WR Tyrell Shavers injured his left knee during a punt return but returned in the second half.
Jaguars RG Patrick Mekari (back) left in the third. LG Ezra Cleveland also was banged up and alternating plays with rookie Wyatt Milum. WR Parker Washington was evaluated for a concussion in the first half and cleared to return.
The Bills will play at Denver or New England next weekend.
The Jaguars will turn their attention toward improving a roster that lacked enough difference-makers on both sides of the ball.
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Buffalo Bills' Ray Davis, bottom right, fumbles a kickoff return from the Jacksonville Jaguars as teammate Baylon Spector (54) and Jacksonville Jaguars' Devin Lloyd (0) try to recover the ball during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) is tackled by Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen (41) during the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington (11) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills during the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen gets up after collecting a first down near the Jacksonville Jaguars end zone later in the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) pushes in for a first down as Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Arik Armstead (91) tries to stop him during the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
