Vucic makes false claim that he hasn't seen Putin in three and a half years

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has made a false claim that he has not seen Russian President Vladimir Putin in three and a half years. In addition to Sputnik Serbia, this statement has been reported by other Serbian media outlets, as well as most Russian ones, while Vučić spoke about the planned meeting with Putin on May 9 in Moscow.

Vučić said:

"I haven't seen Putin for three years. And many of them have spoken secretly with him, and I know at least two world leaders who have spoken secretly with him," Vucic said, according to Sputnik Serbia. Vucic added that the meeting on May 9 would be his first with Putin in three and a half years.

Analyze:

Vučić met Putin on February 17, 2023 in Beijing – Contrary to his claims, Vučić met with Putin on the sidelines of an international meeting in Beijing last year. Vučić himself later publicly confirmed that meeting, saying they had a “short conversation.”

https://www.rferl.org/a/vucic-serbia-russia-putin-eu/33100827.html

In February 2023, Vučić stated: “I saw President Putin and we spoke briefly, very briefly, we did not have a bilateral meeting.”

Vucic has 'friendly' meeting with Putin in China – Euractiv

This clearly shows that Vučić deceived the public when he claimed that he had not seen Putin for three and a half years.

This disinformation has clear political motives – to minimize his relations with the Kremlin before the international community, while at the same time building a narrative of strong ties with Moscow among the domestic public.

https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/vucic-has-friendly-meeting-with-putin-in-china/

https://n1info.rs/english/news/vucic-meets-putin-in-beijing/

https://www.kurir.rs/vesti/politika/9630570/vucic-u-intervjuu-sa-mariom-nafalom

https://www.politika.rs/sr/clanak/670422/vucic-svetski-lideri-tajno-razgovarali-sa-putinom

/The Geopost/