President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Belgrade on August 7 for his first official visit to Serbia, marking a significant diplomatic move to engage one of Europe’s most Moscow-friendly nations amid the ongoing war against Russia.
Zelensky said he would meet with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister Duro Macut during the two-day trip. “We will discuss expanding economic ties between our countries, relations with the European Union, other areas that can benefit our nations, and security issues,” Zelensky wrote on social media. “Ukraine is always ready to work constructively, for mutual benefit, and on the basis of mutual respect.”
The visit carries enormous symbolic weight. Serbia has historically maintained close ties with Russia, relying heavily on Moscow for natural gas and diplomatic backing. Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Belgrade has sought to balance relations between Moscow and the West, refusing to join Western sanctions against Russia while pursuing European Union membership.
The trip follows Vucic’s own visit to Ukraine in June 2025, when he attended the Ukraine-Southeast Europe summit in Odesa. However, unlike other participants, Vucic did not sign a joint declaration denouncing Russia’s aggression or reaffirming support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity. Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service had previously accused Serbia’s defense industry of “trying to shoot Russia in the back,” after reports emerged that Serbia had indirectly supplied arms to Ukraine through third parties.
A senior Ukrainian official told AFP the visit was designed to “pull the Serbs away from Russia’s side,” calling it a “slap in the face for the Russians.” The diplomatic push comes as Serbia balances its EU aspirations with its traditional alignment toward Moscow, a dynamic that has frustrated Western allies for years.
The visit is notable given the wartime conditions in Ukraine. Serbian and Ukrainian officials had reportedly been planning a possible Zelensky trip since May 2026, though such visits can be cancelled at any moment due to the security situation. The successful visit signals that Kyiv sees diplomatic engagement with Belgrade as a strategic priority, even amid ongoing Russian missile and drone strikes across Ukrainian territory.
The visit could reshape dynamics in the Western Balkans, where Russian influence remains significant. If Zelensky secures even modest commitments from Belgrade on trade cooperation or European integration support, it would represent a diplomatic victory for Kyiv in a region where Moscow has long held sway. The visit also comes as Ukraine works to build a broader international coalition ahead of potential peace negotiations.
Sources: Kyiv Independent, Straits Times, Washington Post