Ukraine's Zelenskyy makes first visit to Russia-friendly Serbia
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is making his first visit to Serbia. His host, President Aleksandar Vucic, hopes to score points with the EU, while Zelenskyy seeks
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is making his first visit to Serbia. His host, President Aleksandar Vucic, hopes to score points with the EU, while Zelenskyy seeks more arms from a country that remains Russia-friendly. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic have met several times in the past, often on the sidelines of multilateral conferences, and most recently on July 15, 2026, in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv. On Friday, Zelenskyy arrived in Serbia for his first official state visit to the country. The talks, however, are likely to require careful political balancing. Despite Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine, Serbia remains widely regarded as Europe's most pro-Russian country. There have recently been several signs of closer ties between Belgrade and Kyiv. Ukraine's First Lady, Olena Zelenska, visited Belgrade two years ago. But a trip by the Ukrainian president has been postponed several times. For Vucic, who has ruled Serbia with an iron fist for the past 14 years, the visit is a balancing act ahead of crucial parliamentary elections. A student-led protest movement plans to field its own electoral list, with a realistic chance of seriously challenging Vucic for the first time. The president has been accused of corruption and of exerting control over the media and judiciary. According to opinion polls, the majority of Vucic's loyal supporters side with Russia and oppose Serbia joining the European Union. Pro-government media outlets, such as the tabloid Informer, have openly backed Moscow in the war. Nevertheless, Vucic has portrayed Zelenskyy's trip as an ordinary state visit, saying: "We have several important issues to discuss. One is Ukraine's and Serbia's path toward Europe; the second is our bilateral and energy cooperation." Observers expect the meeting to prove mutually beneficial.
"Zelenskyy welcomes anything that comes across as a kind of slap in the face for [Russian President] Putin," political analyst and pollster Djordje Vukadinovic told DW. "That also applies to the European Union, which certainly played a role in making this meeting happen." Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (left) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (right) met at the Ukraine–Southeast Europe Summit in Kyiv in July 2026, weeks before Zelenskyy's first official visit to Belgrade Image: Alina Smutko/REUTERS At the same time, Vucic wants to "present himself as being as open to cooperation as possible with the EU," especially after seeing what happened to Hungary's Viktor Orban. "Brussels still has enough carrots and sticks at its disposal in this part of the Balkans, and Vucic cannot afford to draw criticism from Brussels ahead of the next election," Vukadinovic said. Serbian-made artillery shells Zelenskyy may also be looking to secure Serbian munitions. Large quantities of Serbian artillery shells have already been delivered to Ukraine through intermediaries, despite Serbia's pro-Russian stance and opposition to anti-Russian sanctions. The Financial Times newspaper estimated that the value of military goods delivered to Ukraine totaled €1 billion ($1.15 billion) in 2024. Christopher Hill, a seasoned US diplomat, who recently ended his career as ambassador to Serbia, spoke candidly about how he had brought the Ukrainian military and Serbian defense industry together. "The US began supporting the purchase of significant quantities of Serbian ammunition, which we knew Ukraine urgently needed," Hill told German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Countries such as the Czech Republic and Poland officially bought the weapons before transferring them to Ukraine.
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