President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić and the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky they talked about the cooperation and respect of the two countries, but they went around the subject of Serbian weapons. But everyone who needs to know - already knows.
The elephant in the room was barely mentioned. The two presidents, Aleksandar Vučić and Volodymyr Zelenskiy, exchanged public pleasantries regarding respect for the territorial integrity of Serbia and Ukraine. There was talk about the path to the European Union where Vučić is a skeptic and Zelenski an optimist, he writes Deutsche says.
The black balance of Russian attacks in the last 24 hours, Serbian aid in medicines, trade between the two countries, mining, agriculture, soybeans, soybean meal, flax seeds... the hottest topic was only mentioned after the journalist's question.
"We did not discuss any military cooperation today," said Vučić, "and what will happen when the war ends is another matter."
He also told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung journalist Michael Martens that Serbia will indeed open a drone factory in September - but in cooperation with Israel.
This is a comment on Martens' article from the previous day, in which it is stated that President Zelenski's people in Serbia have already visited locations for the possible joint production of drones. In the same article, it is described in detail how Serbian grenades arrived in Ukraine in large quantities through intermediaries.
Nothing could be heard from Zelenskiy about it, only a half-sentence that he is developing all kinds of cooperation with Serbia that contributes to the "perseverance" of Ukraine and that he also talked with Vučić about things "that are not for the public".
Photo: Tanjug / Amir HamzagićVučić and Zelensky
Vučić made his points with weapons a long time ago
According to political scientist Aleksandar Ivković, Ukraine's hunger for weapons in the wake of Russian aggression and Serbia's apparent willingness to help are Vučić's trump cards in the West.
"Some now say that Vučić is scoring points with Zelenskiy's visit. But the main points were scored when that military cooperation was concluded four years ago. That essentially helped Vučić, more than anything else, to maintain good relations in the West and to avoid too much criticism from the European Union," he told DW.
Ivković sees the fact that it was not publicly mentioned about Zelenski's visit as an attempt to avoid controversy in Vučić's electorate. They like military topics, but it is better not to mention Serbian grenades in Ukraine - Zelenski clearly respects Vučić's string.
Photo: AP Photo/Darko VojinovićVučić and Zelensky
A free trade agreement is awaited
Volodymyr Zelenskiy's evening, night and day on his premier visit to Serbia began with the Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Đedović Handanović meeting him at the airport. Vučić was not in front of the plane, even though protocol would have dictated it - previously the Serbian president was waiting for, say, colleagues from Azerbaijan or the United Emirates.
Dinner followed with several hours of conversation, and Vučić also posted a photo of a hug with Zelenski on Instagram.
Of the concrete, an agreement on food safety was signed, while a far more significant agreement on free trade is reportedly progressing. Zelenski said that everything should be finalized by the end of the year.
Without explicitly mentioning Russia and the war, Vučić said at the press conference that Serbia supports the territorial integrity of all UN members, including Ukraine. "There is no 'but' about that," he added.
He wished for a quick peace in Ukraine, but said that it was not yet realistic and that another "difficult winter" was likely to follow.
Zelensky repeatedly spoke about "Russian aggression", which was also a rare opportunity to hear the word "aggression" on Serbian television when it comes to Russia's attack on a neighboring country.
Photo: Tanjug / Amir HamzagićVučić and Zelensky
Chick, find the news.
But the question is how many people will hear the words of the Ukrainian president. Whoever cruised through the portals of leading tabloids close to the authorities on Friday (August 7) evening and Saturday, could hardly find news about the state visit, which would be the number one topic in most countries of the world.
The Informer, Vučić's unofficial newsletter, spent the whole day on Friday denigrating the student list and its possible candidates. For political scientist Ivković, there is no mystery here:
"Vučić's electorate is mostly pro-Russian, all research shows that. Also, those who are against Vučić are mostly pro-European because they see the values they want in Serbia in the EU," he says and adds:
"The president of Serbia has so elaborated the media machinery towards his voters that almost nothing he does can harm him when it goes through the media processing of the tabloids. That's why Zelenski's visit there was only mentioned."
Photo: AP Photo / Darko VojinovićVučić and Zelensky
Plays everywhere.
And most other observers agree that the whole visit is more outward looking.
"Vučić would like to show the European Union that he is approaching them in foreign policy, but I believe that this is another deception by Vučić," says Peter Hurelbrink, the head of the Belgrade office of the "Friedrich Ebert" Foundation, which is close to the German Social Democrats.
Vučić, he adds, is interested in economics and making deals. "In this case, especially the business of manufacturing weapons and ammunition. That's exactly what Zelensky needs," Hurelbrink told DW.
Hurelbrink is not the only one who assessed Vučić's policy as making deals on all four sides of the world.
Critics previously complained that after each such deal, Vučić bought some support for his rule at home, and that Serbia's budget is somewhat empty. Thus, Germany was offered lithium, military aircraft were bought from France, the son-in-law of the American president was offered space at the General Staff, Chinese companies were given mines, and the Russians are building parts of the railway.
"Vucic tells one thing to Brussels, another to Moscow, another to Kyiv. So he knows how to deal with all the players at the same time," says Hurelbrink.
If it is to be judged by the writings of the European press, Vučić succeeds in this to some extent. In the shorter reports that have been published so far, it is mostly written that Zelensky's visit is a "slap" to Russia.
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