Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic cut short his visit to the United States and returned to Serbia, where he was hospitalised at the Military Medical Academy in Belgrade on 3 May. According to doctors, Vucic’s condition is “stable and satisfactory,” but he should not be expected to return to normal activities in the coming days.
Serbian Finance Minister Sinisa Mali later said Vucic had been discharged on the evening of 3 May and referred to the president’s words that he was feeling better.
Serbian Radio and Television earlier reported that Vucic suddenly became ill while travelling to the United States, sought medical attention and decided to return to Serbia after being examined. His meeting with US President Donald Trump did not take place.
According to a statement by the head of the Serbian Defence Ministry’s Health Directorate, cardiologist Professor Dragan Dincic, Vucic suddenly developed severe chest pain during his visit to the United States. An examination revealed that he had high blood pressure. Dincic recalled that the president had had such problems three times in the last ten years. According to the doctor, the president felt well during the flight to Serbia. Vucic himself did not make public statements.
Earlier, the Serbian president said that after his visit to the United States, he would go to Moscow to take part in the celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany. He was expected to be among the guests of the Red Square parade on 9 May. Vucic said he would “under no circumstances” cancel the visit, despite criticism of the possible trip from the European Union, whose representatives consider it inappropriate in connection with the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fitzo was also planning to visit Moscow on 9 May. In Slovak media, however, in recent days reports about Fitzo’s health problems began to appear. He has not appeared in public for several days, cancelled his visit to the UK and his programme for May 1. Fitzo’s party MP Jan Richter said on Saturday that the prime minister was still planning a trip to Moscow. Richter’s statement was quoted by Denník N. The MP said that Fico “is in good physical and psychological condition”, but he did not say what the cancellation of the events was related to.