Zelenskyy makes first official visit to Serbia, calls trip 'a slap in the face for Russians'

Volodymyr Zelenskyy is making his first official visit to Serbia on Saturday as Ukraine seeks to bolster international support in the face of intensifying Russian strikes.

Zelenskyy is scheduled to hold talks with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić at the presidential palace, following another heavy bombardment of Kyiv and the surrounding region overnight that killed at least three people and wounded seven.

A Strategic Diplomatic Move

A senior Ukrainian official earlier described Zelenskyy's visit to Moscow's traditional ally Serbia as "a slap in the face for the Russians."

Serbia has historically maintained close ties with Russia, and Vučić has refused to impose sanctions on Moscow—a stance that has frustrated the EU and slowed Belgrade's path to joining the bloc.

Zelenskyy had dinner with Vučić on Friday, ahead of the formal talks. Vučić reiterated this week that he will not change his position on sanctions.

Key Topics for Discussion

"We will discuss expanding economic ties between our countries, relations with the European Union, other areas that can benefit our nations, and security issues," Zelenskyy said on X.

Background

Zelenskyy—who has toured much of the world seeking support since Russia's 2022 invasion—has not visited Serbia since he became president in 2019.

Although Serbia remains heavily dependent on cheap Russian gas and Vučić is one of the rare European leaders to still visit Moscow, he has also supplied non-military aid to Kyiv.

The Kremlin has accused Serbian firms of selling munitions to Ukraine, a claim Vučić has repeatedly denied.

Vučić traveled to Ukraine for a regional summit in 2025 and visited Kyiv this year. He has promised assistance to Ukraine but avoided signing a formal declaration of support in the war.