For years, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has been maligned in Europe as Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s man in the Balkans. There is only one problem with this portrayal: reality keeps getting in the way.

Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made his first visit to Serbia. Ukraine’s president came to Belgrade to discuss economic cooperation, European integration, energy, and security — and left after lavishing effusive praise on his host. To say that what transpired was historic doesn’t quite convey its significance. Russia, which has traditionally been Serbia’s protector and is venerated by many Serbs, watched helplessly. The Eurocrats who have long accused Vucic of being the Kremlin’s stooge will now have to contrive fresh excuses for obstructing Serbia’s path to full membership of the European Union.

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Serbia’s position since Russia’s invasion of its neighbor has always been more nuanced than its critics care to admit. Belgrade has declined to impose sanctions on Russia, but it has also condemned the war, repeatedly affirmed Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, and permitted its weapons to make their way to Ukrainian armories. Last year, Russia’s foreign intelligence service publicly lashed out at Belgrade for arming Ukraine. In spite of this, the “Kremlin puppet” narrative has persisted.

There is another fact that deserves greater recognition in Europe: Vucic has presided over a profound economic........

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