Zelenskyy arrives in Serbia for first visit, seeks to deepen ties with Moscow ally

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Serbia on Friday for his first visit to the country, one of the few European states that has maintained close ties with Moscow since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Zelenskyy said on X that he would hold two days of meetings with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade. Discussions will focus on expanding economic cooperation, relations with the European Union and security issues, he said.

The visit comes as Serbia continues to maintain its longstanding relationship with Russia. Vucic has refused to impose sanctions on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine, a position that has frustrated the European Union and complicated Belgrade’s efforts to join the bloc.

A senior Ukrainian official said before Zelenskyy’s visit that Kyiv’s objective was to “pull the Serbs away from Russia’s side”. Vucic, however, has reiterated that Serbia’s position on sanctions remains unchanged.

“I am sure Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in line with his struggle and his views, will say what he thinks about sanctions against the Russian Federation, but the Republic of Serbia set out its position four and a half years ago, almost five years ago, and has not changed it since,” Vucic told media on Thursday.

“That will remain the case until further notice,” he said.

Zelenskyy has travelled extensively since Russia’s attack to seek international backing for Ukraine’s defence, but he had not visited Serbia since becoming president in 2019.

Despite Belgrade’s close relationship with Moscow, Serbia has also provided non-military assistance to Kyiv. The country remains heavily dependent on relatively inexpensive Russian gas, while Vucic has been among the few European leaders to continue visiting Moscow.

The Kremlin has accused Serbia of supplying munitions to Ukraine, a claim Vucic has repeatedly rejected.

With inputs from agencies