Europe
Serbia’s President Vucic cuts short US visit and returns home after falling ill
Associated Press
May 3, 2025
Vucic, 55, suddenly fell ill during a meeting in the U.S. on Friday and decided to return home against the advice of U.S. doctors, said cardiologist Dragan Dincic, from Belgrade’s Military Hospital, where Vucic was treated upon arrival. (Darko Vojinovic/AP)
BELGRADE, Serbia — Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic has cut short a visit to the United States and returned to Serbia after feeling sudden chest pain apparently caused by high blood pressure, doctors said on Saturday.
Vucic, 55, suddenly fell ill during a meeting in the U.S. on Friday and decided to return home against the advice of U.S. doctors, said cardiologist Dragan Dincic, from Belgrade’s Military Hospital, where Vucic was treated upon arrival.
Dincic said Vucic took additional therapy after the incident and was now in “stable and satisfactory condition.” Dincic added that Vucic won’t be hospitalized but “cannot be expected to return to his regular activities for several days.”
Vucic was previously in Miami, Florida, where he had met with former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani. Vucic had said he also was hoping to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Richard Grenell, U.S. presidential envoy for special missions, expressed hope that Vucic would recover. “Sorry to miss you but hope all is ok,” Grenell wrote on X.
Serbia’s populist leader also has said he would travel to Russia later this month to attend a Victory Day parade in Moscow, despite warnings from European Union officials that this could affect Serbia’s bid to join the bloc.
Vucic has refused to join Western sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. He also has been under pressure at home following six months of persistent anti-corruption protests triggered by the collapse of a roof at a train station in the country’s north that killed 16 people.