Lead
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said Belgrade will do everything in its power to support Ukraine's swift accession to the European Union, following a meeting with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky in Belgrade, as reported by TASS.
"We want Ukraine to open all clusters [of EU accession negotiations] as soon as possible and to close them as quickly as possible. We have had no problems with this, and there will be none in the future. On the contrary, we will do everything in our power to help Ukraine on its European path," Vucic said after the meeting.
Coverage Comparison
TASS reported two related developments. One article focused on the meeting and Vucic's statement, noting that Zelensky arrived in Belgrade on August 7 and was met at the airport by Serbia's Minister of Mining and Energy, Dubravka Dedovic-Handanovic. Another TASS report detailed Zelensky's arrival, highlighting that he came to discuss economic and energy cooperation with Vucic.
A notable detail in the reporting was the security arrangements for Zelensky's visit. TASS cited footage from Ukrainian agency TSN and Telegram posts showing that Zelensky had a larger-than-usual security detail, with one agent holding a bulletproof briefcase. The report compared this to previous visits, including to the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Belgium, where the security detail was noticeably smaller.
Key Claims
- Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic stated that Belgrade will assist Kiev in its EU accession, expressing a desire for Ukraine to open and close all clusters of EU accession negotiations as quickly as possible, as reported by TASS.
- Vladimir Zelensky met with Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade, according to TASS.
- A memorandum of understanding on cooperation in animal health and food safety was signed between the Serbian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management and the relevant Ukrainian state service for food safety and consumer protection, in the presence of both presidents, as reported by TASS.
- Serbia has held candidate status for EU membership since 2012, with accession negotiations ongoing since 2014, according to TASS.
- Vladimir Zelensky arrived in Serbia on a visit to discuss economic and energy cooperation with President Aleksandar Vucic, as reported by TASS.
- Zelensky had an increased security detail during the visit, according to TASS, which noted the detail was larger than during previous visits, including to the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Belgium.