Ukraine: Russia Pounds Kyiv as Zelenskyy Visits Serbia
Ukraine's Zelenskyy visits Moscow-friendly Serbia as Russia strikes the Kyiv region again.
Russian forces continued shelling Kyiv as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy paid his first visit to Serbia, a country that has maintained cordial relations with Russia despite Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Zelenskyy arrived in Belgrade on Friday evening and dined with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. They subsequently met again at the Serbian presidential palace on Saturday for talks.
During their discussions, Zelenskyy and Vucic explored strategies to enhance infrastructure, economic development, reconstruction, and job creation in both nations. They also signed a memorandum of understanding on agricultural and food safety cooperation. The leaders addressed the challenges of the upcoming winter in Ukraine, which has been severely affected by Russian attacks on energy facilities. Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to Vucic for a new humanitarian aid package for Ukraine.
Vucic reiterated Serbia's commitment to Ukraine's territorial integrity, including the territories seized by Russia since 2014. He reportedly expressed skepticism about either Serbia or Ukraine joining the European Union quickly but assured support for Kyiv's bid. Both nations aim to bolster economic cooperation and finalize a free trade agreement by year-end.
While Serbia has avoided imposing sanctions on Russia, this stance has drawn criticism from the EU and hindered Belgrade's path to joining the bloc. Serbia has also provided nonmilitary aid to Ukraine, despite its reliance on Russian energy. The Kremlin has accused Serbian firms of supplying Ukraine with munitions, a claim Vucic has denied.
The meeting took place amid escalating Russian attacks on Kyiv, resulting in at least four casualties, including a child. Russian drones struck Pukhivka, killing three people in the Kyiv region. Ukraine's air force reportedly downed or intercepted 135 of the 151 Russian drones launched overnight. Additionally, Ukraine's military targeted Russia's Ilsky and Syzran oil refineries, causing fires at both locations.
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