N1 exclusive: Ukrainian delegation expected to visit Serbia, possibly led by Zelenskyy

If confirmed, this would be Zelenskyy’s first visit to Serbia since taking office in 2019 and since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. However, given the state of war in Ukraine, such a visit could be cancelled on short notice.

Although there has been no official confirmation of Zelenskyy’s potential arrival in Belgrade, diplomatic sources in the Serbian capital expect that a joint memorandum of understanding regarding trade cooperation between the two countries could be signed soon.

Serbia and Ukraine share a common aspiration for European Union (EU), and mutual support for each other’s European path remains a key pillar of bilateral relations. Another vital point of cooperation is the mutual support for each country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

To date, contact between the presidents of Serbia and Ukraine has taken place primarily during international political summits. Since the start of the war in Ukraine, the Serbian president has visited Ukraine once - on June 11, 2025, for the Ukraine–Southeast Europe Summit held in Odesa.

On that occasion, Serbia declined to sign a joint declaration for the first time because, as explained, it contained a call for sanctions against Russia.

President Vucic said at the time that “no one pressured him too much” to sign the declaration. At the summit, Vucic offered Serbia’s assistance in rebuilding “one or two cities or a small region.”

Kosovo was not represented at that summit, as Ukraine does not recognize Kosovo's independence.

First direct talks in August 2023

The first direct talks between the presidents of Serbia and Ukraine since the start of the war took place in late August 2023, approximately a year and a half after the invasion began. The meeting was held in Athens during the Ukraine–Southeast Europe Summit. At the time, President Aleksandar Vucic announced that Serbia would continue to support and respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity. He described the talks as open, friendly, and constructive.

At that same Summit, a declaration was adopted condemning Russian aggression against Ukraine. Vucic emphasized that he had managed to ensure the declaration did not include a call for sanctions against Russia.

Regarding that meeting, the Ukrainian president wrote on social media that it was a “good conversation on respect for the UN Charter and the inviolability of borders. On our nations’ shared future in the common European home. On developing our relations, that is in our mutual interest.”

Prior to that, the first personal contact between the two presidents was in Moldova in early June 2023, where they shook hands following a group photo at the second European Political Community (EPC) Summit.

Vucic and Zelenskyy have also participated in nearly all EPC summits, which were established to demonstrate European unity against Russian aggression.

There were two exceptions: at the inaugural summit in Prague in 2022, Vucic attended in person while Zelenskyy joined via video link. At all subsequent summits, Zelenskyy attended in person. At the most recent summit in Armenia, Serbia was represented by Prime Minister Djuro Macut rather than President Vucic.

Both Belgrade and Kyiv have repeatedly stated at the highest levels that relations between the two countries are “good and correct” and that there is room for improvement.

The most recent such statement came on May 14, 2026, from Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric during talks with the Ukrainian Ambassador to Serbia, Oleksandr Litvinenko. On his X account, Duric wrote that he emphasized Belgrade’s “readiness to further intensify political dialogue, hold bilateral political consultations, and enhance trade cooperation.”

Complicated relations

Bilateral relations are nonetheless complicated due to Belgrade’s stance toward Moscow.

However, Ukrainian officials have generally indicated that Kyiv understands Serbia’s position and does not make the imposition of sanctions against Moscow a condition for bilateral relations.

Ukrainian officials, including President Zelenskyy, have repeatedly thanked Serbia for its humanitarian aid, while Serbian officials, including President Vucic, have thanked Ukraine for its support regarding Serbia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty - specifically, its non-recognition of Kosovo's independence.

A particularly sensitive aspect of the relationship concerns arms exports.

Since 2022, numerous media outlets, including Ukrainian and Russian sources, have reported that Serbian weapons and ammunition have been found on the Ukrainian battlefield in the possession of Ukrainian forces. According to these reports, the weapons reached Ukraine via exports through third countries.

In June 2025, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) claimed that two Serbian companies sold rockets for multiple-launch rocket systems and mortar shells (or components for them) to companies in the Czech Republic and Bulgaria, from where they ended up in Ukraine. This triggered a sharp reaction from Moscow.

Following this, the Serbian Ministry of Defense said that, on the orders of the president, the export of weapons and military equipment produced in Serbia had been suspended. Specifically, all future exports would require approval from the Serbian Council for National Security.

Belgrade has repeatedly denied direct arms exports to Ukraine, saying that it “cannot influence” whether weapons produced in Serbia and exported through third countries eventually end up in Ukraine.

Although Serbia condemned Russian aggression in late February 2022, more than four years after the start of the war, it continues to refuse to impose sanctions on Russia. This persists despite repeated calls from Brussels for Serbia, as an EU candidate country, to align its foreign and security policy with that of the European Union.

At the same time, Serbia remains a member of several political platforms established after the war began, aimed at closer cooperation with Ukraine or providing political support. These include the Ukraine–Southeast Europe Summit and the European Political Community.

Regular contact between the two countries is also maintained through the first ladies.

In November 2025, Serbian Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic paid an official visit to Kyiv, where she met with the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament of Ukraine), Ruslan Stefanchuk, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Brnabic said at the time that Serbia fully supports Ukraine on its European path and tha it has provided more humanitarian aid to Ukraine than all other Western Balkan countries combined.

The Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Ukraine also regularly initiates humanitarian actions. One of the most recent involved providing generators for a kindergarten in the city of Bucha, in the Kyiv region. The Krokodil organization and several regional organizations also participated in this initiative.