Zelensky, First Official Visit to 'Pro-Russian' Serbia

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine made history by becoming the first foreign head of state to visit Serbia in person. Serbia, a rare exception among European nations, has maintained close ties with Russia despite Ukraine's Russian invasion. On the 8th, according to reports from the Associated Press (AP) and Reuters, Zelenskyy met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade, Serbia's capital, to discuss a range of issues.

Among them were their mutual efforts to join the European Union (EU), strengthening bilateral relations, and the potential for future Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). These agreements are crucial for Serbia's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and a prerequisite for EU membership. Ukraine has been blocking Serbia's WTO accession due to agricultural quota and customs disputes.

Zelenskyy also discussed infrastructure projects, energy, and food security cooperation, aimed at helping Ukraine recover from Russia's recent attack on its energy infrastructure, which came in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine. Vucic, under pressure with early elections looming, is balancing Serbia's desire for EU membership and its historical and economic ties with Russia, while rejecting Western sanctions against Russia.