President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to make his first trip to Serbia on Aug. 8, a senior Ukrainian official told the Kyiv Independent.The trip is seen as symbolic, as Serbia has traditionally maintained close ties with Russia.Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Serbia has sought to strike a careful diplomatic balance between Moscow and the West. According to reports, Serbia has indirectly supplied arms to Ukraine, although Vucic publicly denied it in May 2025.At the time, Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service, the SVR, accused Serbia's defense industry of "trying to shoot Russia in the back."Photo for illustrative purposes. Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (L) enter the hall during their bilateral meeting on Sept. 2, 2025 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Contributor/Getty Images)Vucic made his first official trip to Ukraine in June 2025 as part of the Ukraine-Southeast Europe summit in Odesa. Unlike the other participants at the summit, Vucic did not sign a joint declaration that denounced Russia's illegal aggression, called for a full withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine, and reaffirmed support for Ukraine's territorial integrity.At the summit, Vucic claimed he wanted to go beyond political declarations and provide practical assistance to Kyiv.Vucic was also among a recent delegation of European leaders who visited Kyiv on July 15, Ukraine's Statehood Day.