The serbs bussed in to pay homage to Putin at the summit

Aleksandar Vucic, Serbia's two metres tall, the president is a master of playing off east and west against each other.

His goal is a Serbian EU-membership, and in Brussels he is seen as a guarantor of stability in the chronically unstable Balkans. He gives the impression that Serbia in the future can recognise Kosovo, the former Serbian province since 2008 and is an independent state.

much like Putin steers Russia. Vucics maktparti SNS have almost total control over the courts, and both state and private tv channels are supporting crowd for the power. The economy is dominated by loyal oligarchs.

In the summer sent to Moscow two fighter jet as a gift to Serbia – which was Vucic to exclaim that he ”almost cried when he heard and saw them”. Russian gas and oil dominate the Serbian energy market.

Many serbs believe – incorrectly – that Russia is the country's largest trading partner and aid donor. In fact, the EU is by far the largest market for Serbian goods, and what the terms of aid, with Sweden more than Russia.

are popular here can't be wrong. Perhaps not surprising given that västalliansen Nato bombed the country 20 years ago, with many civilian victims as a result.

– To be for Russia is a way to show resistance against the united states and the west. It knows Vucic, and his constituents are, for the most part pro-Russian, " says the political scientist Vuk Vuksanovic who is a specialist on Russian-Serbian relations.

In souvernirbutikerna in the centre of Belgrade hangs t-shirts with a kamouflageklädd Putin next to the portraits at the Novak Djokovic, the Serbian world number one in tennis.

Demonstrations in Belgrade before Putin's visit. Photo: Eva Tedesjö

do anything to raise the mood before the visit. The magazine Alo publishes the presidents dinner and attracts with a ”Putinkalender” for 2019. At the same time claim that the albanians and the Serbian opposition is planning a ”joint action” against the summit.

the Newspaper Vecernje Novosti on their side, writes that ”patriotic forces” supported by the ruling party plans to run into more than 70,000 people in the buses from the provinces to pay homage to Putin and Vucic. According to the opposition dana's, local partiavdelningar have received the order exactly how many they should gather together. On social media type of journalists that people are paid in food and milk in order to travel to Belgrade.

Since a couple of months to protest the opposition every Saturday against Vucic and his authoritarian rule. Also on Wednesday, held a big manifestation in Belgrade against the president.

Vucic, use the meeting with Putin as a counterweight to the protests, " says Vuk Vuksanovic. The message is that we indeed can garner even larger crowds.

the joint appearance in front of st. Sava temple, the largest orthodox cathedral in the centre of Belgrade. Prior to this Putin has awarded the order of Alexander Nevsky-the words to Vucic.

With the medal around their neck ports the Serbian president in the company of dictators and authoritarian leaders. Nevsky-the words have previously been assigned to the presidents of Turkmenistan and Belarus.