The Serbian president in contrast the breakaway province’s chief to Ukraine’s Zelensky
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic accused on Friday the ethnic Albanian authorities within the breakaway province of Kosovo of trying to impress a struggle through which NATO would as soon as once more take their facet.
“They need to drag Serbia right into a battle with NATO. Kurti desires to be like [Vladimir] Zelensky, and I might be some type of [Vladimir] Putin,” Vucic mentioned, referring to the presidents of Ukraine and Russia. “It’s what they’re after, what they’ve been doing all alongside. And on this, they’ve the help of a major a part of the worldwide neighborhood, as a result of [Kosovo] is their little one.”
Vucic was commenting on the current arrest of an ethnic Serb on expenses of “struggle crimes” relationship again to the 1998-99 battle, which ended with NATO bombing Serbia on behalf of the ethnic Albanian separatists. The provisional authorities in Pristina declared independence in 2008, with Western help, which Belgrade has refused to acknowledge.
“They don’t need normalization, they need to humiliate Serbia,” mentioned Vucic. “However I’m telling you, that gained’t occur. There will likely be no humiliation, no capitulation.”
The proposal for “normalization of relations” between Pristina and Belgrade, made public final month by the EU, quantities to a de facto recognition of the breakaway province, which might have the best to affix NATO, the EU and the UN. Vucic insists he didn’t signal something and can by no means conform to these phrases.
“We’re getting ready for talks on Monday or Tuesday,” he mentioned, referring to the EU-sponsored talks in neighboring North Macedonia. “However it’s not clear to me why. They mentioned they wouldn’t conform to a deal. Effectively, why are you coming then? For us to acknowledge Kosovo?”
Vucic insists that earlier than anything can occur, the EU must implement the 2013 Brussels Settlement, which amongst different issues envisioned a political autonomy for ethnic Serbs within the province. The ethnic Albanian authorities have refused to implement that a part of the deal for ten years now, insisting it clashes with the ‘structure’ of Kosovo. Neither the EU nor the US have achieved something to affect Pristina to alter its thoughts, Vucic famous.
As an alternative, the EU has simply granted Kosovo visa-free journey to the bloc, whereas threatening an financial boycott in opposition to Serbia except it joined the Western sanctions in opposition to Russia.
