The two presidents in Belgrade agreed to deepen economic cooperation and aim to sign a free trade agreement by the end of the year, while Serbia continues to balance between its EU path and relations with Russia.
Serbia will allocate two million euros (about 2.3 million US dollars) to support Ukraine's energy sector ahead of winter, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed on Saturday at the end of a two-day visit to Belgrade. During Zelensky's first visit to Serbia since taking office in 2019, the two leaders also announced a significant deepening of economic ties.
A key step forward is the mutual intention to finalize the long-stalled free trade agreement by the end of the year. Negotiations on this document have been ongoing for more than two decades, with Ukraine holding it up since 2005 due to tariffs and quotas affecting its agricultural sector. The agreement is crucial for Serbia's bid to join the World Trade Organization and is a prerequisite for European Union membership.
"Our cooperation is expanding and will become much greater," Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said at a joint press conference, adding that Serbia will help rebuild Ukrainian cities damaged by the Russian invasion. Zelensky said the two countries are developing all formats of cooperation that can give their people more resilience, particularly highlighting joint infrastructure projects and cooperation on energy and food security.
Zelensky warned that almost no thermal power plant in Ukraine has remained intact due to Russian attacks, which have also damaged railway stations, hospitals, universities, and civilian commercial buildings. He thanked Belgrade for preparing a new package of humanitarian aid focused specifically on the medical and energy sectors. The two countries also signed a memorandum on animal health and food safety, signed by Serbia's Minister of Agriculture Dragan Glamočić and Ukraine's ambassador to Serbia Oleksandr Litvinjenko.
"I am very afraid that a very difficult winter awaits us-especially for Ukrainians," Vučić said, as reported by the Kyiv Post. On social media platform X, Zelensky wrote that he also discussed economic and logistical projects with Prime Minister Đuro Macut, including the Danube Corridor and closer ties between Ukraine, the Western Balkans, and the European Union.
The visit takes place against the backdrop of a delicate geopolitical balance. Serbia condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and supports the country's territorial integrity, but refuses to join Western sanctions against Moscow, its long-time ally on which it remains energy-dependent. At the same time, Ukraine has not recognized Kosovo's independence, declared in 2008, which Belgrade highly values.
"You have never heard a single bad word about our country, neither from Volodymyr Zelensky nor from anyone else in Ukraine, and I am extremely grateful to our Ukrainian friends for that," Vučić emphasized. Both confirmed that military cooperation was not a topic of discussion.
Vučić expressed doubt that either country would join the European Union quickly. "I wish Ukraine every success, but this is not just a merit-based process," he said, recalling that no new member has been admitted to the bloc since 2013, when Croatia succeeded.
In a separate address to journalists, Zelensky spoke about Ukraine's ongoing quest for protection against ballistic missiles, emphasizing that thousands of components in Russian weapons come from around the world, including from close partners. "These components are then used to target people, killing children, civilians, and soldiers. That is why imposing sanctions on Russian weapons and the supply of these components is the highest priority," he said.
He also touched on the issue of bureaucracy, revealing that he had reached an agreement with US President Donald Trump on licenses for the production of Patriot systems. "Imagine if we had received them four years ago. By now, we would already be producing Patriots for everyone," Zelensky said. He added that South Korea and Japan have not helped with air defense due to domestic legislation, while he is in dialogue with Israel about a potential purchase of systems, but that option is not available for now.
