Vučić meets Zelensky in Belgrade: "I don't expect the war to end soon"

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, speaking at a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Belgrade, said he does not believe the war in Ukraine will end anytime soon and warned of a difficult winter ahead, especially for Ukrainians. The statement was reported by the outlet Ukrainska Pravda.

According to Vučić, Serbia, like the rest of the international community, hopes for the swiftest possible end to the conflict. "But if you're asking me as a political veteran, I'll tell you honestly: I'm not confident of that. I'm very much afraid that a very hard winter awaits us — above all for Ukrainians," the Serbian leader said.

Later he reiterated his hope that the conflict would end as soon as possible, but quickly returned to a more pessimistic tone: "I don't see a path that would lead to that."

Why Zelensky's visit to Belgrade is drawing so much attention

Zelensky's trip to Belgrade has attracted heightened interest, as Serbia is widely regarded as one of Russia's closest allies in Europe. Since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Vučić has refused to impose sanctions on Moscow — a stance that has significantly complicated his country's path toward European Union membership.

Even before Zelensky's arrival on Friday, the Serbian president made clear he had no intention of reversing his decision not to join the sanctions. With his Ukrainian counterpart, he planned to discuss expanding economic ties between the two countries, relations with the European Union, other areas of mutual benefit, and security issues.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz