Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Belgrade on August 7 for his first visit to Serbia since the start of the war, meeting Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic for a late dinner that evening. Formal talks and a joint press conference followed on August 8.
Vucic reiterated that Serbia supports Ukraine's territorial integrity but again refused to directly condemn Russian aggression or promise to join sanctions against Russia. Serbia remains the only European state that has not imposed sanctions on Moscow or Minsk.
At the press conference, Vucic said he was not sure the war would end soon. He said that "the entire international community, together with Serbia," would like to see an end to the war, but that he had no "real facts" to support such hope. He also promised that Serbia would take "under its care" one small Ukrainian city seriously damaged by the war.
Zelensky, speaking in Belgrade, described the consequences of a recent Russian missile strike on Kyiv that killed three adults and a child. He said Ukraine had "practically not a single intact thermal power plant" left, and that the goal of Russian missiles was to make life unbearable for Ukrainians. Zelensky also said Ukraine was working on an agreement with the United States on monthly deliveries of anti-missile systems, but stressed that these deliveries would not be enough to fully neutralize the threat.
The Ukrainian president called for cutting off channels through which components that could be used in the production of ballistic missiles reach Russia. According to him, they continue to flow into Russia "from almost every continent, including from countries with which we have close partnership relations." Zelensky also said Ukraine had not received necessary air defense assistance from South Korea, Japan, and Middle Eastern countries due to their laws and constitutions.
Serbia announced it would provide Ukraine with two million euros to support its energy sector. Zelensky also held talks with Serbian Prime Minister Djuro Macut. The sides confirmed their intention to sign a free trade agreement by the end of the year. Vucic said Belgrade would support Kyiv's course toward EU membership, though he was skeptical about the prospects of both countries joining the bloc soon.