Vucic disinforms, says he has not spoken to Putin since the war in Ukraine, although he met with him in China in 2023

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić disinformed when he tried to present himself as pro-West during the Globsec conference in Prague on August 31. He said he has not spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin since Russia launched the war in Ukraine, but Vucic had spoken to him in October 2023 when they were both in China.

What did Vucic say?

Vucic still denied having close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, dismissing claims that Serbia acts as a “Trojan horse” for Moscow. He clarified that he has not met or spoken to Putin since the Russian invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago.

“Yes, traditionally we have very good ties and we don’t hide it. And I’m not ashamed of that,” Vucic said, emphasizing the historical ties between Serbia and Russia.

Analysis:

Vucic disinforms that he has not had a conversation with the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. But in October 2023, Vučić and Putin had a short conversation and Vučić himself had declared about this meeting then.

Last year, instead of attending the Berlin Process Summit in Tirana, which was being held at the time, Vučić traveled to China to sign a series of trade deals, leaving then-Prime Minister Ana Brnabić to represent Serbia at the Berlin Process Summit. Instead, he went to China to sign some trade deals.

When a Channel One journalist asked him how the meeting with Putin went, Vucic said: “As usual. We have friendly relations.”

Details of their discussion in the Chinese capital were not disclosed.

Both Vucic and Putin were in Beijing to attend the international forum on China’s “Belt and Road” initiative. It marked the first time they met in the same place since Russia’s full invasion of Ukraine in March 2022.

Vucic has refused to align Serbia’s foreign policy with the EU or the West and has deepened ties with Russia since the beginning of the war./G.Venhari-The Geopost/