Diplomacy & Geopolitics
Zelensky to make first Serbia trip Saturday, official says
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will visit Serbia on Saturday in his first trip there since Russia's invasion, a senior Ukrainian official told AFP.
The official described the Belgrade visit as symbolically important because Serbia is a traditional Moscow ally. The official said Ukraine wanted to “pull the Serbs away from Russia's side” and called the trip a “slap in the face for the Russians.”
Zelensky has travelled widely to build support for Ukraine's defence against the Russian invasion. He has not visited Serbia since becoming president in 2019.
Serbia has not sanctioned Russia over its 2022 invasion of Ukraine and has maintained close energy ties with Moscow. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, where he called for stronger cooperation and trade.
Serbia is formally seeking to join the European Union, but Brussels has objected to its warm ties with Moscow.
Update
Zelensky has not visited Serbia since becoming president in 2019.
Serbia has not sanctioned Russia over the 2022 invasion and has maintained close energy ties with Moscow.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow and called for stronger cooperation and trade.
Serbia is formally seeking to join the European Union, while Brussels has objected to its warm ties with Moscow.
Source note: AFP news report published on 6 August 2026 at 16:01:51 UTC.
Update
The visit is planned for Saturday.
The visit is described as Volodymyr Zelensky's first-ever trip to Serbia.
A senior Ukrainian official described the Belgrade visit as a symbolic dig at Moscow.
The official said Ukraine wanted to pull Serbia away from Russia's side.
Source note: AFP news report published on 6 August 2026 at 15:47:17 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The visit is reported by a senior Ukrainian official and is presented as planned.
The supplied material does not give a detailed agenda for the visit.
Source
AFP news report published on .