Zelenskyy arrived in Serbia on his first state visit
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in Serbia on his first state visit. During the trip, he is scheduled to hold talks with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, according to Deutsche Welle.
Vucic stated that the two sides plan to discuss Ukraine’s and Serbia’s path toward Europe, bilateral cooperation, and energy. The leaders have met on numerous occasions on the sidelines of multilateral events, most recently on July 15, 2026, in Kyiv, during the “Ukraine–Southeast Europe” summit.
The talks are taking place against the backdrop of Belgrade’s traditionally close ties with Moscow. Serbia has not imposed sanctions against the Russian Federation—the aggressor state waging war against Ukraine. At the same time, according to DW, large quantities of Serbian-made artillery ammunition have already been delivered to Ukraine through intermediaries.
The Financial Times estimated the value of military equipment delivered to Ukraine in 2024 at 1 billion euros. Former U.S. Ambassador to Serbia Christopher Hill told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that the United States supported the purchase of significant quantities of Serbian ammunition needed by the Ukrainian army. According to him, the Czech Republic and Poland officially purchased these weapons and subsequently transferred them to Ukraine.
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DW also reports on discussions regarding the possible establishment of a joint drone manufacturing plant that would draw on Ukrainian expertise, Serbian labor, and investments from the United Arab Emirates. According to the publication, Zelenskyy’s team has already secretly inspected potential sites.
The visit comes on the eve of parliamentary elections in Serbia, which are expected to take place this fall. The student protest movement, which emerged in late 2024 following the collapse of a canopy at the train station in Novi Sad, plans to field its own electoral list. Sixteen people died as a result of the tragedy. Protesters accuse the government of corruption and incompetence, while Vučić’s critics fear possible large-scale election fraud.
Ukraine, like Russia, does not recognize Kosovo’s independence. Vučić regularly mentions this in his addresses to the domestic audience following his contacts with Zelenskyy, DW notes.
