Zelensky Visits Serbia as Ukraine Seeks Support amid Intensified Russian strikes

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is making his first official visit to Serbia, a rare European country that maintains close ties with Moscow, as Kyiv seeks to strengthen international support amid intensifying Russian attacks.

Zelensky received a ceremonial welcome at the Serbian Presidential Palace on Saturday before holding talks with President Aleksandar Vučić.

The visit comes after another overnight Russian bombardment of Kyiv and surrounding areas killed at least four people, according to Ukrainian authorities.

Diplomatic efforts to end the war remain stalled more than four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, while both sides have intensified long-range attacks.

Russia has stepped up strikes on the Ukrainian capital in recent months, frequently using ballistic missiles that are difficult to intercept.

Ukraine has repeatedly called for additional US-made Patriot air defence systems.

Kyiv has responded with increasingly large-scale drone attacks on targets inside Russia.

A senior Ukrainian official described Zelensky’s visit to Serbia, a traditional Russian ally, as “a slap in the face for the Russians”, underscoring the diplomatic significance of the trip.