Original article (in Montenegrin) was published on 26/06/2026; Author: Jovana Đurišić
Relations between Montenegro and Serbia have once again been marked by tensions in recent weeks, reflected in official statements and media appearances by political leaders. On one side, there are accusations that Podgorica is waging a hybrid war against Belgrade. When those accusations are answered, a new wave of claims follows.
Media outlets often take these accusations a step further, reshaping them into a distorted narrative.
That is exactly what happened when the Informer suggested that war could be looming on the horizon.
“Is Montenegro Preparing to Declare War on Serbia?! Ivica Dacic Speaks Out Urgently: ‘Such Statements Are Issued Only…’ “ the headline on Informer portal reads (archived):
How did it all start?
The controversy began with remarks by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who stated that: “Media outlets in Montenegro played a significant role in the color revolution in Serbia, and Montenegro is conducting a hybrid war against Serbia.” (archived)
Montenegro’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded, describing the accusations as unfounded and inappropriate.
“There is a saying in Montenegro: ‘No one insults you like the insulted.’ It perhaps best illustrates the absurdity of the claim that Montenegro is waging a hybrid war against anyone. We leave it to the public to assess whether such statements should be viewed as a prelude to new disinformation campaigns and political pressure, or as an attempt to divert attention from problems that have nothing to do with Montenegro,” The MoFA stated on X.
The statement, published on X, appears to have triggered a response from Serbia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its head (archived), Ivica Dacic, who said that “Such statements are very rare in international relations and are usually issued when relations between countries are in a severe crisis, almost on the verge of war.”
He went on to claim that anti-Serbian rhetoric present in Montenegro for decades had returned to discussions about Kosovo and even the events of 1918. He also argued that: “Even Trump’s statements regarding Iran are milder than the statement issued by Montenegro’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
However, despite the harsh accusations exchanged by both sides, neither country was preparing to declare war on the other, nor did Dacic say that this was happening. That interpretation was entirely Informer’s own. For that reason, the article receives the ratings Clickbait and Disinformation.
The “Clickbait” rating is given to a media report whose title has no grounds in the article that follows. Such articles and features aim to attract the attention of the consumer with a sensational title, promising content that does not actually. Such reports are mostly motivated by financial interest, i.e., to increase readership.
The “Disinformation” rating is assigned to media reports that contain a mixture of factual information and inaccurate or partially true content. In such cases, media outlets may not necessarily be aware that false information has been published alongside accurate information. This rating is also applied to reports containing false attributions or headlines that do not accurately reflect the content of the article.
