Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski arrived in Serbia on Friday for his inaugural visit to the Balkan nation, traditionally an ally of Moscow. The visit is expected to emphasize economic collaboration and both countries’ efforts toward European Union membership, according to reports from Reuters.
This marks Zelenski’s first official trip to Serbia since he took office in 2019.
Zelenski’s visit coincides with a surge of Russian bombardments on Kyiv and its surrounding areas, resulting in at least three fatalities and seven injuries.
Upon arriving in Belgrade on Friday evening, Zelenski dined with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, with discussions planned for Saturday at the presidential palace, followed by a press briefing, as noted by AFP.
“We will discuss strengthening economic relations between our two countries, our relations with the European Union, and other areas that can benefit our nations, as well as security issues,” Zelenski stated.
Vucic’s Perspective
President Vucic expressed on social media his belief that Zelenski’s visit would enhance relations between Serbia and Ukraine and bolster cooperation in mutually beneficial fields.
Vucic mentioned earlier that their talks would also cover energy cooperation. Serbia remains heavily reliant on Russia for energy supplies and has not aligned with European sanctions against Moscow.
In May 2025, Vucic met his Russian counterpart in Moscow during the celebrations of the victory over Nazi Germany and again in Beijing in September.
Simultaneously, he visited Ukraine in June 2025 for a regional summit in Odesa and returned to Kyiv in July the previous year. He has often praised Ukraine’s stance of not recognizing Kosovo’s independence, declared in 2008 by the former Serbian province.
Zelenski’s Objectives
A senior Ukrainian official told AFP on Thursday, under anonymity, that the aim of Kyiv was to “dissuade the Serbs from the Russian camp” and that Zelenski’s visit was a “blow to the Russians.” While Zelenski noted discussions on “security matters,” this topic is quite sensitive.
The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) accused Serbian arms manufacturers in May 2025 of supplying ammunition to Ukraine through third countries, despite Belgrade’s official “neutrality.”
Vucic had previously promised to ensure contracts were halted “when there are suspicions regarding the final recipient,” assuring that Serbia had ceased all exports of arms, ammunition, and military equipment.
Nevertheless, Kyiv continues to face a severe ammunition crisis more than four years into the Russian invasion of Ukraine, despite escalating attacks on both sides of a nearly static frontline, leading to an increasing number of civilian casualties.
Kyiv Seeks Patriot Missiles
On Wednesday, at least 17 people were killed in nighttime Russian attacks on Kyiv. Due to a lack of interceptors, Ukrainian air defenses were unable to shoot down any missiles.
At the end of July, Zelenski traveled to Washington to meet with Donald Trump, seeking Patriot missiles, the only ones capable of intercepting advanced Russian missiles.
According to the Financial Times, the U.S. president rejected this request due to a shortage of Patriot missiles in U.S. inventories, which has persisted since the beginning of the Middle East war in late February.
Trump, who has recently taken a more favorable tone toward Zelenski, did approve new sanctions against Moscow that had long been stalled by the White House and were voted on Friday night by the Senate.
These measures particularly target the oil sector, including imposing tariffs on countries importing oil, such as China and India.
