Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Belgrade on Friday evening for his first official visit to Serbia. He met Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić for talks on territorial integrity, humanitarian support and both countries’ paths toward the EU.
DR reports that Zelensky landed in the Serbian capital on Friday evening. It was the first time the two presidents met on Serbian soil. The official meeting took place the following day.
Ahead of the talks, Zelensky wrote on X that he wanted to discuss an expansion of economic ties between Ukraine and Serbia. He also pointed to both countries’ relations with the EU, which each hopes to join. Per his post, Ukraine is always ready to cooperate constructively and on the basis of mutual respect.
Vučić said he was glad to host the Ukrainian president and described Ukraine as a friendly country. According to DR, the two leaders discussed territorial integrity, humanitarian support and EU integration, but not military cooperation. Vučić added that Ukraine will always have Serbia’s support on its path toward Europe.
Reuters described the trip as a surprise visit and reported that Serbia signed a declaration on Ukraine’s territorial integrity. As reported by AP, the visit centered on Ukraine’s European integration and bilateral cooperation. The Serbian Presidency said the talks covered bilateral relations, European integration and support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
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Serbia has condemned Russia’s full-scale invasion but has not imposed sanctions on Russia. The country is dependent on Russian gas, and Vučić has met Vladimir Putin publicly on several occasions. BBC noted that the trip highlighted Belgrade’s balancing act between backing Ukraine’s sovereignty and refusing to join sanctions.
Why the meeting is happening now
Zlatko Jovanovic, an external lecturer in ethnology at the University of Copenhagen, links the timing to domestic pressure. He told DR that Vučić is under strain after large protests in Serbia and criticism from the EU. In his assessment, the Serbian president is using the meeting to show goodwill toward Brussels.
Dorthe Bach Nyemann, a lecturer at the Royal Danish Defence College, describes Serbian policy as running on two tracks. She said Belgrade defends territorial integrity partly because of Kosovo, while insisting on trading freely with Russia, China and the EU. Jovanovic added that Vučić is continuing a long-standing course of good relations with all sides.
Flemming Splidsboel, a senior researcher at DIIS, said Zelensky’s visit can be read as an attempt to widen his circle of allies. He noted that the Ukrainian president can present his country’s case on the Serbian stage. In Russia, he said, such meetings are not welcomed, but Moscow does not expect a rupture with Serbia.
