Russian President Vladimir Putin has flown into Belgrade where he is to be guest of honour at a Serbian military parade loaded with symbolism, BBC News reported.
It marks 70 years since Soviet troops helped liberate the city from Nazi occupation and is the first to be held in nearly 30 years.
Serbia’s historic ties with Russia sit awkwardly with its EU ambitions, especially since the Ukraine crisis, BBC News said.
On the eve of his arrival, Putin accused the U.S. of “hostility”. In an interview with Serbian newspaper Politika, he accused America of trying to blackmail Russia with sanctions over Ukraine but warned that would be futile.
He is due to meet a number of foreign leaders at an Asia-Europe summit in the Italian city of Milan later on Thursday, Oct 16.
They include Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, amid pressure on Russia to implement a peace plan for eastern Ukraine.
One of the key issues that Putin is set to discuss with his Ukrainian counterpart is a possible deal for Ukraine to pay its gas debts in return for a resumption of Russian gas supplies.