Zelensky visits Serbia for first time as president, giving Vučić chance to signal openness to Europe, analyst says

On August 8, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky paid his first official visit to Serbia, a country he leads since 2019. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Zelensky reached an agreement on a humanitarian aid package for Ukraine. Vučić saw the visit as an opportunity to present Serbia's willingness to advance toward the European Union "as much as possible," according to political analyst Aleksandar Djokic.

During the meeting, the two leaders discussed European integration, humanitarian aid, and mutual support. Vučić assured Zelensky that Serbia would always stand by Ukraine in its quest for EU membership, promising to allocate around 2 million euros to help restore Ukraine's energy sector. Zelensky expressed hope that Serbia's path to the EU would accelerate.

Vučić also reiterated Serbia's support for Ukraine's territorial integrity, stating there are "no buts" on that issue.

Reactions to the visit were polarized. Pro-government media largely avoided in-depth reporting, while activists from the "Serbs for Russians" initiative, or "Srbi za Ruse" in Serbian, demonstrated in Belgrade with Russian flags and Putin portraits. At a soccer match, Red Star Belgrade fans displayed a banner that portrayed Ukraine's government as a "Nazi regime" and criticized Serbia for hosting a "Nazi."

Djokic noted that Zelensky's visit provides Vučić with a chance to "demonstrate" to the European Union his readiness to accommodate EU demands, given Serbia's domestic political constraints. Vučić's stance on Ukraine generally aligns with Brussels, except for his refusal to impose sanctions on Russia. Djokic believes Russia will face a prestige loss, but Moscow currently lacks the means to alter Serbia's stance.

For Kyiv, the visit is valuable due to the proposed aid package and possible indirect arms supplies, which are crucial for Ukraine's security. In May, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kachka also visited Serbia, marking the second visit by a Ukrainian official of that rank since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion. Vučić had visited Kyiv in July to attend the Southeast Europe-Ukraine summit and promised Ukraine additional financial, medical, and energy assistance.

However, Vučić declined to sign a joint declaration urging more pressure on Moscow. Serbia currently holds "disposable" Russian agents suspected of planning an explosion at a German defense facility. Vučić also mentioned a three-month extension of the Russian gas deal, which keeps Serbian gas prices among the lowest in Europe.