Aleksandar Olenik, deputy leader of the League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina – Vojvođani, has accused Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić of political hypocrisy, saying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Belgrade exposed the “misery, misery and absolute lack of morality” of his government.
In a written statement, Olenik said Vučić had spent the past four and a half years “cowardly calculating” his political moves while hiding behind pro-government tabloids that celebrated Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and traded in state interests.
“Today, Vučić is trapped by his own lies and the blockade of his foreign policy, and he is organizing belated spectacles in Belgrade to buy a few more days in power,” Olenik said.
He argued that Serbia and Ukraine have historically close ties and claimed that the two countries and their peoples share a common European future.
According to Olenik, Vučić has turned Belgrade into a “safe haven for pro-Russian propaganda,” damaging Serbia’s reputation internationally.
“Despite the damage this regime is causing, Serbia and Ukraine have a common and unbreakable European future,” he said.
Olenik argued that this future cannot be built on what he described as Vučić’s “false smiles” or protocols imposed under Western pressure, but instead on genuine solidarity, shared democratic values and a commitment to European freedom.
He said the freedom of Europe, in his view, cannot be secured without both a free Serbia and a free Ukraine.
Olenik also dismissed Vučić’s attempt to portray himself as a regional peacemaker following Zelensky’s arrival in Belgrade.
“Vučić’s attempt to present himself overnight as a regional peacemaker is pathetic and transparent. The citizens of Serbia, as well as the international community, can clearly see the theater of a frightened autocrat,” Olenik said.
Zelensky’s visit marks a significant diplomatic moment for Serbia, which has sought to maintain ties with Russia while simultaneously pursuing closer integration with the European Union. The Ukrainian president’s presence in Belgrade has also intensified debate within Serbia over Vučić’s foreign policy and his balancing between Moscow, Kyiv and Western governments.
