Putin's 19th meeting with Vučić today in Sochi, Russia

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi today. The main topic of the 19th official meeting between them will be the price of gas, but the leaders of the two countries will also discuss the situation in the Western Balkans, joint projects and economic cooperation.

Aleksandar Vučić and Vladimir Putin will meet at around 13:00 local time, and around 11:00 Serbian time. The two presidents will first have a private meeting, and then have a working lunch. Everything is done privately, given the strict epidemic measures.

The situation in the Western Balkans and the solution to the crisis in Kosovo are also on the table. Aleksandar Vučić has also announced that he will inform President Putin about everything that is happening in the talks on Kosovo, as well as the entire situation in the Western Balkans.

The Kremlin sees these issues as central to the conversation between the two leaders. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin will talk to Vucic in Sochi about “cooperation between the two countries for mutual benefit,” which he assessed would be “very important talks with an ally and a friend.”

The Kremlin has officially announced the meeting between Putin and Vucic, and the statement says that the talks between the two leaders will focus, among other things, on resolving the crisis in Kosovo.

"Putin and Vucic have planned to touch upon the main issues of the Russian-Serbian strategic partnership in the political, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres, as well as exchange views on the situation in the Balkans, including the prospects for resolving the Kosovo problem," the Kremlin official said.

The meeting in Sochi is the 19th official meeting between Presidents Vučić and Putin and comes at a time of numerous challenges facing Serbia – such as increased pressure from the West, criticism of the rule of law, and censorship and control of the media.