Skip to content
Edit post

Serbia's Vucic, Romania's Dan travel to Ukraine in their first official visits

by Martin Fornusek June 11, 2025 12:11 PM  (Updated: ) 2 min read
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Budapest, Hungary, on February 17, 2025 (Attila Kisbenedek / AFP) 
This audio is created with AI assistance

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.

Serbia 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, a populist politician who has held power in Serbia for 12 years, 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.

Nicusor Dan, the recently elected president of Romania, will also visit Odesa to take part in the summit, the Romanian Presidential Office said.

President Volodymyr Zelensky invited Dan to visit Ukraine shortly after the latter won the May presidential election. Dan ran on a centrist, pro-EU platform against far-right Eurosceptic George Simion.

While Simion has vocally opposed military aid for Kyiv, Dan pledged to maintain Romania's pro-Ukraine course.

‘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.

News Feed

6:57 PM

Russia hands over bodies of its own soldiers in recent exchange, Kyiv says.

"This could have been done by the Russians on purpose to increase the number of bodies transferred and to load our (forensic) experts with work, adding to all this cynical information pressure. Or it could be their usual negligent attitude toward their own people. In any case, we also identify these bodies," Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said.
7:09 AM

EU leaders call for tougher sanctions on Russia at G7 summit.

"To achieve peaceful strength we must put more pressure on Russia to secure a real ceasefire, to bring Russia to the negotiating table, and to end this war. Sanctions are critical to that end," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.
3:06 AM

Russia attacks Kyiv Oblast with drones, injuring 1.

Russia launched a series of drone attacks on Kyiv Oblast overnight on June 15-16, targeting both the capital city and regional settlements, according to government officials. A 60-year-old man has been injured.
MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan
* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.