On Wednesday, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić made his inaugural visit to Ukraine, which was his very first trip to the nation.
Vučić took part in the Ukraine-Southeast Europe Summit in Odesa during his one-day visit, according to an announcement from Serbia’s Presidential Office.
Based on information from Euronews’ European political insiders, the attendance of the Serbian president at the summit indicates Serbia’s shift towards aligning with the EU concerning Russia’s comprehensive invasion of Ukraine.
Serbia has maintained a neutral stance concerning Russia’s conflict with Ukraine; however, Aleksandar Vučić’s attendance at Vladimir Putin’s Victory Day celebration in Moscow recently sparked strong disapproval from Brussels, particularly concerning Serbia’s aspirations for European Union membership.
Brussels delivered a strong caution, stating that Vučić’s trip to Moscow could contravene the conditions for EU membership and might adversely affect Serbia’s application to join the 27-nation union.
Based on information from Euronews’ European political insiders, Vučić’s attendance at the summit in Odesa holds significant symbolic importance, potentially resulting in Brussels revisiting and accelerating the process of expanding Serbia’s integration into the EU.
In this situation, to show consideration for Serbia, Ukraine chose not to extend an invitation to Kosovo for the summit, according to the same sources who informed Euronews.
Russia accused Serbia of arming Ukraine
Not long ago, Russia accused Serbia of supplying weapons to Ukraine, referring to it as a “betrayal” coming from one of Moscow’s most loyal European allies.
The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) released a statement asserting that “Despite Serbia’s stated neutrality by its official authorities in Belgrade, defense companies in the country remain supplying ammunition to Kyiv.”
The claim suggested that the shipment of Serbian weapons to Ukraine involved NATO as intermediaries, mainly through the Czech Republic, Poland, and Bulgaria.
“Recently, exotic options linked to African countries have also been employed for this purpose,” the SVR stated.
Vučić refuted the allegations, stating that while an agreement with the Czech Republic is in place, it does not allow for the export of Serbian-produced equipment to a third nation.
He further mentioned that Moscow and Belgrade would form a “task force” to investigate how Serbian weaponry ended up in Ukraine.
The Ukraine-Southeast Europe Summit held in Odesa has brought together delegates from 12 nations across Southeastern Europe.
Included among them is Romanian President Nicusor Dan, who is undertaking his inaugural visit to Ukraine following his victory in the May election.
Russia has frequently launched missile and drone assaults against the port city of Odesa. **
On Tuesday, drones struck residential areas and healthcare centers, such as a maternity ward, resulting in two fatalities according to officials. Subsequently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that an additional 13 individuals were wounded in these incidents.
