Serbian President Aleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107 made his first-ever visit to Ukraine this Wednesday, accepting an invitation from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. During his one-day trip, Vu\u010di\u0107 is expected to participate in the Ukraine\u2013Southeast Europe Summit held in Odesa, according to the Serbian President’s Office.<\/p>\n
According to Euronews<\/em>\u2019 European political sources, Vu\u010di\u0107\u2019s participation\u2014and its symbolism\u2014is seen as a strategic step toward reopening and accelerating Serbia\u2019s EU accession chapters, while also signaling a realignment of Serbia with the EU position on Russia\u2019s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n As a gesture toward Serbia, Euronews<\/em> reports that Kosovo was not invited to the summit.<\/p>\n Although Serbia has officially maintained a neutral stance in the war between Russia and Ukraine, Vu\u010di\u0107’s recent visit to Moscow for Russia\u2019s Victory Day parade alongside President Vladimir Putin drew harsh criticism from Brussels. EU officials warned that Vu\u010di\u0107\u2019s actions were incompatible with EU accession criteria and could jeopardize Serbia\u2019s bid to join the 27-member bloc.<\/p>\n In contrast, his presence in Odesa is interpreted as a corrective move aimed at easing tensions with the EU.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, tensions between Serbia and Russia have flared after the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) accused Serbia of exporting weapons to Ukraine, calling it a \u201cstab in the back\u201d from one of Moscow\u2019s oldest European allies.<\/p>\n According to the SVR statement, Serbian defense companies were allegedly supplying ammunition to Kyiv through NATO intermediaries such as the Czech Republic, Poland, and Bulgaria, and even via \u201cexotic routes\u201d involving African countries.<\/p>\n Vu\u010di\u0107 has denied the accusations, acknowledging a contract with the Czech Republic but insisting it does not permit the re-export of Serbian-made arms to other countries. He also announced that Serbia and Russia would form a joint working group to investigate how Serbian weapons may have ended up in Ukraine.<\/p>\n The summit in Odesa gathers representatives from 12 Southeast European countries, including Romanian President Nicu\u0219or Dan, who is making his first visit to Ukraine since winning the May elections.<\/p>\n The summit is taking place amid renewed Russian attacks on Odesa. On Tuesday, two people were killed and 13 others injured in drone strikes that hit residential buildings and medical facilities, including a maternity ward, according to Ukrainian officials. President Zelensky confirmed the toll later that day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Serbian President Aleksandar Vu\u010di\u0107 made his first-ever visit to Ukraine this Wednesday, accepting an invitation from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. During his one-day trip, Vu\u010di\u0107 is expected to participate in the Ukraine\u2013Southeast Europe Summit held in Odesa, according to the Serbian President’s Office. According to Euronews\u2019 European political sources, Vu\u010di\u0107\u2019s participation\u2014and its symbolism\u2014is seen as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":79234,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[163,1803],"tags":[243,151],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nRussia Accuses Serbia of Arming Ukraine<\/h3>\n
Southeast Europe\u2013Ukraine Summit<\/h3>\n