Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will travel to Belgrade on Saturday for his first visit to Serbia since taking office in 2019, a trip a senior Ukrainian official described as a deliberate move to pull Serbia away from Russia's sphere of influence.
The visit carries pointed symbolism. Serbia has not imposed sanctions on Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine and remains heavily reliant on Moscow for gas supplies. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met with Vladimir Putin in Moscow in May 2025, and the Ukrainian official called the upcoming trip a slap in the face for the Russians.
Vucic travelled to Ukraine in July 2026 for a regional summit — his first visit since the war began — but refused to sign a joint declaration condemning Russia's aggression.