Zelenskyy makes first official visit to Belgrade, agrees to deepen cooperation with Vučić

Published Aug 9, 07:56 AM UTC

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made his first official visit to Belgrade on August 9, 2026, meeting Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, who is widely seen as a friend of Russia. Despite Serbia's close ties to Moscow and its refusal to join EU sanctions against Russia, both leaders agreed to deepen bilateral cooperation. They signed a letter of intent for cooperation in agriculture and food safety, and a free trade agreement is to be drafted by the end of the year. Zelenskyy thanked Serbia for humanitarian aid in Ukraine's medical and energy sectors. Vučić affirmed Serbia's support for Ukraine's territorial integrity, while Ukraine reciprocates by not recognizing Kosovo's independence—a key issue for Serbia. Military cooperation, including drone production, was denied by Vučić. The visit also highlighted Serbia's dual role: it officially refuses to sanction Russia but has been supplying weapons to Ukraine without public acknowledgment. Just three weeks earlier, Vučić had refused to sign a joint declaration supporting Ukraine at a summit in Kyiv.

Content shown outside its original language is machine translated and condensed.