Editorial | Serbia in Odesa: A Quiet Realignment or Diplomatic Optics?

Lviv Herald | 13 June 2025

The presence of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić at the Ukraine–South East Europe Summit in Odesa this week may not have made headlines across Western Europe — but for seasoned observers of Balkan diplomacy, it was a moment of quiet significance.

For years, Serbia has been seen as Moscow’s last foothold in Europe, often viewed with scepticism by both Brussels and Kyiv. Her neutral stance on sanctions, deep energy dependence on Russia and state media sympathetic to Kremlin narratives left Ukraine under no illusion about Belgrade’s alignment. But the optics in Odesa told a more nuanced story — and perhaps, a shifting one.

Vučić Walks a Careful Line

President Vučić’s language during our interview was careful, even elegant. He spoke of “strategic maturity” and “diplomatic realism”, and offered practical examples of Serbia’s support for Ukraine’s recovery: infrastructure tenders, medical care, student exchange. His tone was that of a man threading a needle between history and inevitability.

Indeed the strongest message may not have been what Vučić said, but where he chose to say it: in Odesa, a city still scarred by missile strikes, hosting a summit symbolising Ukraine’s anchoring in Europe. In diplomatic terms, presence equals recognition.

A Balkan Barometer

For Ukraine, Serbia’s attendance is more than symbolic. It suggests that Kyiv’s diplomatic outreach to the Western Balkans is bearing fruit. In recent months, Ukraine has deepened ties with Romania, Moldova, Albania and Croatia. Now Serbia — the largest and most diplomatically ambiguous state in the region — is signalling openness to greater engagement, even amidst continuing tensions with Kosovo and an ongoing balancing act between East and West.

Some in Brussels may view Vučić’s participation as mere theatre — a way to score favour with the EU while maintaining quiet ties with Moscow. That may be partially true. But diplomacy is built not on purity, but on positioning, and Vučić is repositioning Serbia for a new phase in European politics: one where Russia is diminished, and Ukraine is permanent.

What Ukraine Gains

For Kyiv, this is not about illusions. Nobody in the Ukrainian foreign ministry expects Belgrade to join the sanctions regime or withdraw from Russian gas contracts overnight. But Vučić’s presence legitimises the idea that even those states closest to Moscow can no longer afford to ignore Ukraine’s regional role.

Ukraine is not only fighting for her borders — she is shaping the future architecture of the continent. If Serbia is willing to engage on Ukrainian terms, even modestly, that is a win worth recognising.

The View Forward

What follows remains to be seen. Will Serbia vote with Ukraine at the UN General Assembly? Will she open more humanitarian channels? Will she step back, cautiously, from the orbit of Russian influence?

Perhaps. Perhaps not.

But what is clear is this: Serbia came to Odesa. And in a world as fractured and fragile as today’s, that is no small thing.