Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić is travelling to Ukraine on Wednesday, marking the first visit by the leader of a country that maintains close ties with Moscow since the war began in 2022, France’s AFP news agency reported.
“The President of Serbia will visit Ukraine on Wednesday, June 11, to attend the Ukraine–Southeast Europe summit,” Vučić’s office said in a brief statement.
This will be Vučić’s first trip to Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. The visit comes just days after Moscow accused Serbian arms manufacturers of “stabbing Russia in the back” by allegedly supplying ammunition to Ukraine, AFP said.
Claims that Serbian-made ammunition has reached Ukraine have never been officially confirmed or fully denied, the agency added.
Vučić, who has sought to balance Serbia’s historic alliance with Russia and its ambition to join the European Union, was in Moscow on May 9 for a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany.
Since the start of the war, Serbia has resisted pressure to align with Western sanctions against Russia. While it has not imposed punitive measures, Belgrade has supported several United Nations resolutions condemning Moscow’s actions. AFP noted that Serbia remains heavily reliant on Russian natural gas, which it receives at discounted prices.