Serbia's president travels to Ukraine for his first-ever official visit

Editor’s note: The story is being updated.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic will visit Ukraine on June 11 to take part in the Ukraine-Southeast Europe Summit in Odesa, Serbia’s Presidential Office announced.

The one-day trip will mark the Moscow-friendly Serbian leader’s first official visit to Ukraine.

Top representatives of 12 southeastern European countries are expected to attend the meeting at the Ukrainian Black Sea coast city.

Belgrade has positioned itself as neutral in the Russia-Ukraine war, striving to balance its position as an EU candidate with its long-standing relationship with Moscow.

Vucic, Serbia’s populist president since 2017, was one of the few European leaders who attended the Moscow Victory Day celebrations on May 9, drawing rebuke from the EU.

The traditionally warm Russian-Serbian ties were strained recently after Russia’s intelligence accused Serbian defense companies of supplying arms to Ukraine via intermediaries. Vucic has denied the accusations.

‘We only work for Serbia’ — Vucic denies Moscow’s claims of Serbian companies supplying ammunition to Ukraine

“We have formed a working group, together with Russian partners, to establish the facts… we work only for Serbia,” Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said.

The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek