Zelenskyy visit to Belgrade fails to signal Serbian shift toward West

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Belgrade is viewed as a symbolic event rather than a definitive shift in Serbian foreign policy toward the West. Despite the meeting, Serbia remains a close ally of Russia and a key partner to China in Southeast Europe, maintaining its refusal to impose sanctions against Russia.

While Ukraine seeks normalized relations with Serbia and has reportedly purchased weaponry from the country through third-party intermediaries, the visit highlighted a gap between diplomatic perception and geopolitical reality. The event underscored the complex position of Serbia as an EU candidate country that continues to balance its relationships with major powers like Russia and China.