The cult of Putin in Serbia reflects a nation that has still not dealt with its past

In this, one of a series of essays on the war in Ukraine from countries in or neighbouring the former Soviet bloc, a Serbian poet decries the glorification of Russia's aggression

Ukraine attacks Russia!" was the surreal headline on a report in the 22 February edition of Informer, Serbia's biggest-selling tabloid. That headline was not a one off, it was an expression of the Putinophilia that has been strong in Serbia for years. As most of the world condemned Russia's aggression against Ukraine, much of the media in Serbia turned to glorification of Russia's actions. Tabloids, web portals, dailies, weeklies and nationwide television channels celebrated the destruction of Ukrainian cities and gave wholehearted support to Russian armed forces. The killing of civilians, the levelling of cities and the destruction of cultural monuments appeared to fill some of Serbia's editors with enthusiasm and exuberance.

Pro-Russia rallies took place in Belgrade, at which the crowd cheered Putin and the letter Z was scrawled on the asphalt. The rest of the world shuddered as it watched real-time coverage of corpses on the streets of Bucha, civilians sheltering from Russian shells in underground stations and millions of refugees fleeing their country, but instead of compassionfor innocent victims, understanding for the criminals seemed the response of Putin's Serbian fans.