BELGRADE / PRISTINA – The first visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Belgrade last week drew attention of the international media, though there have been few official reactions, including from Moscow. Meanwhile, President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić defended his foreign policy to domestic audiences in the aftermath of the visit, while Kosovo politicians reacted negatively to Zelenskyy’s stance of continued non-recognition.
Several pro-European opposition parties in Serbia welcomed Zelenskyy’s visit, while accusing Vučić of being insincere about Serbia’s EU membership aspirations. On the other hand, pro-Russian opposition and public figures expressed dismay about hosting Zelenskyy, attacking him along the lines of Russian narratives.
Overall, however, the domestic reaction in Serbia has not been intense. The student movement, which is the largest political challenger to the ruling party, did not express an official position of Zelenskyy’s visit. The pro-government media’s coverage of the visit was noticeably shorter and less detailed than on similar occasions.
Commenting for the media while on a visit of construction works in Belgrade on Sunday, Vučić said that he would “continue to pursue a policy of an independent Serbia” and that with Zelenskyy’s visit, “Serbia has lost nothing.”
Vučić said he was “happy about the excellent cooperation with both China and the United States,” as well as the fact that Serbia “is not destroying the friendships it has with Russia.”
“I do not want to serve anyone – not England, Germany, America, or Russia,” Vučić said, adding that Ukraine has never been an enemy of Serbia and that it is a country that supports Serbia’s territorial integrity, Beta news agency reports.
Vučić stressed the importance of Zelenskyy’s statement that, as he put it, Kosovo is Serbia.
Kosovo-Ukraine relations strained
It was exactly this position of Zelenskyy that provoked negative reactions in Kosovo over the weekend. During a press conference with Vučić, Zelenskyy was asked about the issue of Kosovo and responded that he respects the territorial integrity of Serbia.
“We respect international law. That is our position. As for what you said about the unilateral declaration of independence of Kosovo, the position remains unchanged. We have always emphasized that and Ukraine’s policy has not changed,” Zelenskyy said.
This statement caused considerable negative reactions in Kosovo, where a large Ukrainian flag was removed from the centre of Pristina. It was hanged there after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022.
Glauk Konjufca, Kosovo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, wrote on X on 9 August that Kosovo “takes note with regret” of Zelenskyy’s remarks.
“Since the first day of Russia’s full-scale aggression, Kosova has stood unequivocally with Ukraine… We did so despite Ukraine’s non-recognition of our state, because solidarity with a people defending its freedom, sovereignty and territorial integrity is a matter of principle”, Konufca wrote.
He added that Russia’s attempts to invoke Kosovo as a precedent or justification for its invasion, occupation or attempted annexation of Ukrainian territory are historically and legally false, and wrote about the origin of Kosovo’s proclamation of independence in detail.
“Kosova remains steadfast in its support for Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. At the same time, we respectfully but firmly reject any framing of the Republic of Kosova through the prism of Serbia’s territorial integrity”, Konjufca wrote.
Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of Albania also issued a statement on this matter, saying that, “just as Albania stands, and will continue to stand, firmly with Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and European future, we stand equally firmly for Kosovo’s sovereignty, independence and rightful place in the Euro-Atlantic family”.
The main messages of the visit
Speaking at the press conference following the official meeting with Vučić on Saturday, Zelensky expressed his gratitude to Serbia for its support for Ukraine in the areas of healthcare and energy.
“We are grateful to Belgrade for the support it provides to Ukraine’s independence, people, and territorial integrity,” Zelensky said, FoNet reports.
Zelensky stressed that it is important for Ukraine and Serbia to have a shared vision of partnership.
“We can jointly implement projects for the reconstruction of Ukraine,” Zelensky stated, noting that negotiations on a free trade agreement between Serbia and Ukraine are making progress.
“Our relations are based on mutual respect. We deeply appreciate the support of other countries and peoples. I express my gratitude to everyone in Serbia who has welcomed Ukrainians into their country,” Zelensky said.
He noted that there is a united desire in Ukraine to join the European Union.
“We fight for this every day. Sometimes it seems unattainable, but I am convinced that we can achieve EU membership,” Zelensky said.
At the same press conference, Vučić said that Serbia has never had, and never will have, any problem with Ukraine’s membership in the European Union, and that it is doing everything it can to help Kyiv on that path.
Answering a question about the war in Ukraine, Vučić said that he did not discuss any military cooperation with Zelensky and added: “What happens once the war is over is another matter.”
The speculations about military cooperation nevertheless circulated during the visit.
