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Zelensky's bet on Belgrade

2026-08-14 13:17:31Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

Zelensky's bet on Belgrade

Kiev should maintain pragmatic relations with Belgrade, but without confusing cooperation with geopolitical alignment. Serbia can be a useful partner for Ukraine in areas such as energy, infrastructure, food security, trade, and humanitarian aid, while at the same time continuing to maintain strong political and economic ties with Moscow.

The meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and Aleksandar Vučić in Belgrade brought agreements to deepen economic and humanitarian cooperation, as well as a commitment to work towards a free trade agreement by the end of 2026. For Ukraine, which is in the midst of a long war and needs as many partners as possible, these are developments of practical value.

But the relationship has an important limit: Serbia is not becoming an ally of Ukraine in a strategic sense. Belgrade has not joined the European Union's sanctions against Russia and continues to maintain important political and economic channels with the Kremlin. Pro-Russian narratives remain present in Serbian public opinion as well.

Kosovo, the most sensitive point

The contradiction becomes even more apparent when the relationship is viewed through the Kosovo issue.

Serbia nominally supports Ukraine's territorial integrity, while Zelensky has thanked Belgrade for respecting Ukrainian sovereignty, including its stance on Crimea. But at the same time, Ukraine continues to not recognize Kosovo's independence.

This is a particularly sensitive issue for Ukraine, because a large part of its international argument against Russia is based precisely on the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the right of peoples to determine their own future.

Ukraine's non-recognition of Kosovo, however, does not necessarily mean that Kiev should oppose Kosovo's participation in European institutions. In 2023, Ukraine abstained during the process that led to Kosovo's application for membership in the Council of Europe, showing that a policy of non-recognition does not necessarily equate to opposition to Kosovo's international integration.

Serbia can be a partner, but not a model

For Ukraine, there are concrete reasons to maintain relations with Serbia. Ammunition produced in Serbia has reached Ukraine through third countries, while Belgrade has offered humanitarian aid and expressed readiness to contribute to the reconstruction of Ukraine.

But these developments should not be interpreted as a sign of Serbia's strategic disengagement from Russia.

For Kiev, the most useful approach would be to separate practical cooperation from Belgrade's political stances. Ukraine can work with Serbia where it has common interests, without presenting it as an ally or as a political model for the Balkans.

Kosovo has a strong argument against Ukraine

Kosovo, on the other hand, has clearly supported Ukraine after the Russian invasion. Pristina has aligned itself with EU sanctions against Russia, provided humanitarian and military aid, and hosted Ukrainian journalists.

Precisely for this reason, Kiev faces a diplomatic dilemma: how to maintain relations with Serbia without creating the impression that it is sacrificing the principles of sovereignty and self-determination that Ukraine itself seeks to defend in its own case.

One solution would be for Ukraine to maintain its formal position of non-recognition of Kosovo, but at the same time clearly support security, international participation, and the normalization of Kosovo's relations with Serbia.

Lesson about Ukrainian diplomacy

The question is not whether Ukraine should talk to Serbia. It should. A country at war cannot afford the luxury of rejecting any relations with states that do not fully share its position.

But Kiev must be clear about the political limits of this cooperation.

Sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the right of small states to choose their own future cannot be applied selectively. If Ukraine rejects the Russian doctrine that a great power has special rights over its neighbors because of history, ethnicity, or strategic interests, then the same principle must be applied in the Balkans.

For this reason, Kiev can continue cooperation with Belgrade, but in parallel it should deepen contacts with Pristina and support a normalization process that does not give any state the right to determine the political future of another.

In the end, Ukraine can hold both positions simultaneously: cooperate with Serbia where it serves its interests and consistently defend the principle of sovereignty and self-determination. This is precisely what would make Kiev's diplomacy in the Balkans more credible and sustainable. (AP)


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