Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit should not be an isolated incident in Serbia's foreign policy. It is a basic standard of a modern, democratic state.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to Serbia exposed the hypocrisy of the current Serbian government, embodied in the personal hypocrisy of Aleksandar Vučić. Serbia no longer acts as a state with a coherent foreign policy or strategic interests. Instead, its international position has become inseparable from the controversial personality of one man, who has come to represent the country's policies and strategic direction.

Since the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Serbia's defense industry has been involved in the conflict by supplying weapons to Ukraine. Former U.S. Ambassador Christopher Hill confirmed that the United States facilitated this arrangement, while a cargo aircraft carrying Serbian-made weapons crashed in Greece after departing from Niš Airport. There is nothing controversial about these facts. Vučić himself has acknowledged the possibility of Serbia supplying arms to Ukraine through third countries, while Moscow has condemned these deliveries as an established fact rather than speculation.

At the same time, the very government leading Serbia's European Union accession process continues to refuse alignment with the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy. Serbia remains the only European candidate country, alongside Belarus, that has not imposed sanctions on Russia. Pro-Russian narratives dominate pro-government tabloids, Serbian mercenaries continue to travel to the Russian front despite this being a criminal offense under Serbian law, and the Serbian Orthodox Church has publicly sought Vladimir Putin's support. Meanwhile, Russia officially finances 288 non-governmental organizations and associations in Serbia. The influence of Russian intelligence services and Russian propaganda has become more visible than brands such as Audi or Mercedes at gatherings organized by the Serbian Orthodox Church. Officially, Serbia's government and its foreign policy remain pro-Russian.

In media controlled by Vučić, Zelenskyy's visit was presented as a personal diplomatic achievement of the Serbian president. At the same time, pro-Russian audiences were reassured that Serbia would not impose sanctions on Russia. The reality is quite different. Vučić agreed to the visit in an attempt to appease Western centers of power and rebuild broader international support ahead of potential electoral manipulation. His greatest political challenge is now preserving the legitimacy of his rule, and virtually all of his efforts are directed toward securing external backing. Notably, he already enjoys Russia's unconditional support for maintaining his grip on power and therefore does not need to seek it. Zelenskyy's visit demonstrated whose support Vučić truly needs to remain in office—and despite Russia's enormous influence inside Serbia, it is not Moscow.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit should not remain an isolated incident in Serbia's foreign policy. Such engagement is a civilizational standard, just like imposing sanctions on Russia and prosecuting mercenaries who make war and death their profession. Aleksandar Vučić does not share these standards. For him, this visit was merely an exceptional act carried out under external pressure rather than a reflection of principled foreign policy.