Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, in an interview with the blogger Mario Nawfal on April 1, claimed that "two big leaders" held secret talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin after the launch of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Vucic did not mention the names of the leaders who attended the Kremlin but Nawfal suggested that he was referring to the 2024 Moscow visits by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, both of which were widely reported at the time.
"I know at least two big leaders that were speaking secretly to (Putin) because of course I still have my friends in the Kremlin," Vucic said while refusing to confirm if he was referring to Orban and Fico.
Serbia maintains a friendly attitude toward Russia and has refused to join international sanctions against Moscow in the wake of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
On Feb. 24, Vucic was forced to apologize after he erroneously voted in favor of a Ukrainian resolution at the U.N. General Assembly calling Russia an aggressor state because he was "probably tired and overwhelmed."
The U.N. General Assembly approved the resolution on Feb. 24 condemning Russia's full-scale invasion, with 93 countries voting in favor and 18 against, including the U.S.
Speaking to Nawfal, Vucic said he would be meeting with Putin on May 9, Russia's "Victory Day."
"I'll see (Putin) after three and a half years, which means that we are very sincere, very honest, and very loyal to what we say," Vucic said.
It will be their first meeting since Vucic's last visit to Sochi on November 25, 2021.
According to Vucic, he and Putin would normally discuss the situation in Ukraine and the overall "Soviet region," but at Sochi during a three-hour meeting, Putin spoke about Ukraine for "only 45 seconds."
"After I left (Putin’s) office, I said publicly that I expect very difficult times, including war. Nobody believed me. Everybody was saying, 'you're a drama queen,'" he said.
"Okay, I'm a drama queen… but I was the only one who was saying that," he added.
Vucic also said he "absolutely" doesn't believe Putin is looking to invade other European countries and going beyond Ukraine.
"That's the way to fear, to scare all the others. And to get them into the camp against Putin," he said.
A recent assessment from German intelligence warned Russia could be preparing for a large-scale war with NATO by the end of the decade.
Asami Terajima
(Updated: )
