Zelensky Visits Moscow-leaning Serbia for Bilateral Talks

President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Belgrade on Friday, Aug. 7, marking his first official visit to Serbia – one of the few European countries that has maintained close ties with Moscow since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Zelensky announced that the bilateral talks with his Serbian counterpart, Aleksandar Vučić, had begun in a statement on Telegram. According to his announcement on X, Zelensky is also set to meet with Serbian Prime Minister Đuro Macut, with the leaders due to discuss strengthening diplomatic ties.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “Important talks are scheduled for today and tomorrow,” Zelensky said, adding that “Ukraine is always ready to work constructively, for mutual benefit, and on the basis of mutual respect.” Serbia’s ties with Moscow Serbia has remained one of the few European countries to refuse to join Western sanctions against Russia. The country’s strong ties to Russia trace back to a shared history as former communist states, with Serbia having been part of ex-Yugoslavia and Russia a Soviet successor state, and partly because Vučić remains reliant on discounted Russian gas. Vučić is also one of a small number of European leaders who continue to travel to Moscow. The same ideological legacy that Serbia shares with Moscow also helps explain Serbia’s parallel closeness with China. Serbia is often described as a hybrid regime, or what critics call a “flawed democracy.” Other Topics of Interest US Senate Passes Russia-Iran Sanctions Bill The measure that also targets Russia’s shadow fleet and military sector will now wait until lawmakers return from the August recess. Although it holds multiparty elections and maintains a parliament, both international monitors and its citizens say the ruling party exerts significant control over the media and at times limits fair political competition. Some critics argue that certain aspects of Serbia’s political system point toward increasingly authoritarian, even dictatorial, tendencies – as seen in the country’s massive student-led protests, among the largest in the world in recent years – which erupted over grievances including alleged government corruption. A complex relationship Zelensky has traveled extensively since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, building international support for Ukraine’s defense and gathering new allies along the way. Friday’s trip, however, marks his first visit to Serbia since becoming president in 2019, on which is seen as symbolic. Serbia’s refusal to sanction Russia strained bilateral ties with Ukraine, while also slowing down the country’s path toward EU membership. A senior Ukrainian official told AFP ahead of the visit that the trip was an effort to “pull the Serbs away from Russia’s side.” Vučić, on the other hand, signaled no shift in his diplomatic position ahead of Zelensky’s arrival. “I am sure Volodymyr Zelensky, in line with his struggle and his views, will say what he thinks about sanctions against the Russian Federation, but the Republic of Serbia set out its position four and a half years ago, almost five years ago, and has not changed it since,” Vučić told reporters Thursday, Aug. 6, according to AFP. “That will remain the case until further notice,” he said. Despite this, Belgrade has provided Kyiv with non-military assistance throughout the war, which has drawn criticism from Russia. According to AFP, the Kremlin has accused Vučić of selling munitions to Ukraine – an allegation the Serbian president has repeatedly denied. Zelensky’s visit comes as Kyiv continues to seek broader diplomatic and economic partnerships across Europe, even in countries that have resisted aligning fully with Western sanctions policy. It also comes as Ukraine continues advancing its own reforms and aligns itself with European standards, as part of a broader push towards its EU membership. On July 26, the EU finalized its 21st sanctions package against Russia, tightening restrictions on the Russian financial sector while freezing the price cap on crude oil exports at $44 per barrel. In a separate development, the US Senate passed the late Sen. Lindsey Graham sanctions bill on Friday, Aug. 7, approving sanctions on Russia and extending Iran restrictions. The bill authorizes US President Donald Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100% on imports from leading buyers of Russian energy. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.