Photo: Volodymyr Zelensky / X
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić made a surprise first-ever visit to Ukraine for a regional summit on Wednesday, where he reaffirmed his support for the country’s territorial integrity but stopped short of signing a declaration condemning Russian aggression.
Speaking at the Ukraine–Southeast Europe Summit in the port city of Odesa, Vučić suggested Serbia could participate in the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine by rebuilding “one or two cities or a smaller region” of the country, adding that Belgrade hoped to “contribute something to the Ukrainian people without grand slogans”.
He stressed that Ukraine could count on Serbia’s support for its territorial integrity, particularly as Kyiv does not recognise the independence of Kosovo, which declared itself independent from Serbia in 2008 but is not recognised by Belgrade.
While representatives of 11 southeastern European countries were invited to Wednesday’s summit, officials from Pristina were not, a move Vučić hailed as a “great gesture” by Ukraine towards Serbia.
On the sidelines of the event, Vučić also met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, with the two discussing “mutual support on the path to the EU, bilateral cooperation, and Ukraine’s reconstruction”, Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian president thanked Vučić for his attendance, saying that it was important for the Serbian leader to “witness the war firsthand” during his visit and that Kyiv valued Belgrade’s “support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
Writing on Instagram, Vučić said he had used his speech at the summit to stress the “growing need [for Russia and Ukraine] to intensify dialogue and to achieve peace swiftly” and advocate for the “voice of diplomacy to be heard as loudly as possible”.
However, the Serbian president was the only leader in attendance not to sign a declaration condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, saying that the document’s call for further sanctions on Moscow was contrary to Belgrade’s position.
While Serbia has repeatedly affirmed its support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, it shares what many Serbs see as deep historical ties with Russia and has not joined Western sanctions against Moscow, partly due to its continuing dependence on Russian oil and gas.
In May, Vučić was one of just two European leaders who travelled to Moscow for Russia’s Victory Day celebrations, a move that drew condemnation from EU officials but which Vučić said would not divert Serbia from its “European path”.