Ukraine’s Zelensky to make first visit to Russia-friendly Serbia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will on Saturday make his first official visit to Serbia, one of the few European countries that have maintained friendly relations with Russia despite its invasion of Ukraine. The office of Serbia’s populist President Aleksandar Vucic announced the visit late on Thursday. Zelensky’s office has not officially confirmed his trip to Belgrade.

The visit comes as Vucic tries to balance Serbia’s traditional ties with Moscow against pressure to align its foreign policy with the EU. Vucic has refused to join international sanctions against Russia over Ukraine, citing historic ties between the two Slavic nations. Serbia is in the process of joining the EU, but that has been stalled partly because of Belgrade’s policies toward Moscow.

Serbia relies almost entirely on Russia for its energy supplies. Though Belgrade has refused to sanction Russia, it has provided aid to Ukraine and Vucic has recently stepped up contacts with Kyiv, in an apparent bid to boost his image in the West. As far as sanctions are concerned, let me tell you directly: Serbia has established its policy Russia last year accused Serbia of exporting arms to Ukraine through Nato member states, describing the move as a “stab in the back”.

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Serbia also has promised to help rebuild Ukraine after the war. Ahead of the visit, Vucic said he and Zelensky will discuss co-operation in various fields and their countries’ paths toward EU membership. Serbia does not intend to change its position on Russia sanctions, he said.

“As far as sanctions are concerned, let me tell you directly: Serbia has established its policy,” Vucic said on Friday, adding that Serbia’s stand “has not changed and this will remain so for the time being”. Russia has faced international condemnation and sanctions since it launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Djordje Vlajic, a senior editor at the independent Fonet news agency in Belgrade, believes that both Vucic and Zelensky aim to make political gains from the Belgrade visit.

Zelensky “is sending a message to Russia that he is taking over its key allies in the Balkans”, Vlajic said. Vucic “wants to keep the link alive with the EU and send a signal to Brussels that he shares their [EU] position about the war”, he added.

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