Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday began his first official visit to Serbia to discuss security with one of the few European states still closely aligned with Moscow since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Welcomed at Belgrade airport by Energy Minister Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic, he later dined with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.
Zelensky said on X the talks would cover economic ties, EU relations, areas of mutual benefit, and security.
Serbia’s historic closeness to Russia has seen Vucic refuse to sanction Moscow, angering the EU and slowing Belgrade’s accession path.
The two leaders are due to hold formal talks Saturday at the presidential palace and issue a joint statement, according to the Serbian presidency.
A senior Ukrainian official told AFP the trip aimed to “pull the Serbs away from Russia’s side,” but Vucic has insisted his stance on sanctions will not change.
“I am sure Volodymyr Zelensky… will say what he thinks about sanctions against the Russian Federation, but Serbia set out its position almost five years ago and has not changed it,” Vucic told media Thursday, adding: “That will remain the case until further notice.”
Zelensky, who has toured widely since Russia’s 2022 invasion seeking support, had not visited Serbia since becoming president in 2019.
Vucic, reliant on Russian gas and among the few European leaders still visiting Moscow, has nonetheless supplied non‑military aid to Kyiv. The Kremlin has accused Serbian firms of selling munitions to Ukraine, a claim Vucic denies.
He attended a regional summit in Ukraine last year and visited Kyiv this year, pledging assistance but avoiding a formal declaration of support in the war.
