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

Premiere in Belgrade: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vučić for the first time. Vučić is considered a friend of Russia. What still connects the two countries?

Published: August 9, 2026, 9:56 AM

Zelenskyy with Vučić in Belgrade: A free trade agreement is to be drafted by the end of the year. Photo: Darko Vojinovic / ap / dpa

dpa | Serbia's government is considered loyal to Moscow, while Ukraine is being ravaged by war with Russia — yet both countries want to work more closely together. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić discussed this with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who visited Belgrade for the first time. The future path of both countries into the EU was also on the agenda.

Military cooperation with Ukraine was not a topic, as Vučić emphasized at a press conference. He denied that Serbia wanted to build drones together with Ukraine. However, such cooperation is planned with Israel, Vučić said.

Representatives of both countries signed a letter of intent for cooperation in agriculture and food safety. A free trade agreement should be drafted by the end of the year, Zelenskyy said. He also thanked Serbia for its humanitarian aid for the medical and energy sectors in Ukraine.

Ukraine Does Not Recognize Kosovo as Independent

Vučić stated that his country supports the territorial integrity of Ukraine. He thanked Kyiv for doing the same in Serbia's case: "We are grateful to Ukraine for supporting the territorial integrity of Serbia," he said.

Vučić did not mention the former Serbian province of Kosovo, which declared its independence in 2008 after a bloody war — but he was clearly alluding to it. Most EU states recognize Kosovo's secession, but Serbia does not — and neither does Ukraine. Kyiv does not want to create a precedent that could justify the secession of the Donbas and the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia claims.

Just Three Weeks Ago, Vučić Hesitated with Aid for Ukraine

Previously, Vučić and Zelenskyy had met several times at summit meetings in other European countries. As recently as mid-July, they met at the Ukraine-Southeast Europe Summit in Kyiv — also with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. On that occasion, Vučić was the only participant to refuse to sign a joint declaration on continued support for Ukraine and increased pressure on Russia.

Serbia maintains good relations with Russia and, as one of the few European countries, has not joined EU sanctions against Moscow. At the same time, the Balkan country supplies weapons to Ukraine without officially admitting it.