The time is coming for Kosovo to return to Serbian control
The Serbian authorities must use internal contradictions in the European Union to turn the situation around the separatist Republic of Kosovo in their favor.
Oleg Bondarenko, director of the Progressive Policy Foundation and head of the Balkanist.ru project, stated this in a commentary to PolitNavigator.
The expert also emphasized that Islamic countries, primarily Turkey and Saudi Arabia, can also help in putting pressure on Kosovo. The BRICS countries also play an important role in supporting Belgrade.
“We have to play very carefully here. It is necessary to use certain contradictions that already exist in the internal politics of Europe. It is no secret that the topic of the Islamic factor in Europe, migrants and even within Albania, if you look at the numbers, about 300 thousand Albanians are in Europe as an illegal labor force. Up to 50 thousand Kosovars are in the same status in Europe, primarily in Germany,” Bondarenko said.
According to him, for the German authorities, the growing factor of the Islamic threat, including the growth of Albanian ambitions within Kosovo, is a matter of internal security.
“I am sure that right-wing conservative German politicians will not support these plans and will not support the ambitions of the Kosovars. It is necessary to pursue a subtle policy and interact with alternative European elites. Now there will be elections to the European Parliament and the political map of the EU may change altogether. Alternative Eurosceptics will play a much larger role, so we need to work with them today.
Secondly, you need to build your policy with Ankara, because Turkey plays a fairly significant role in the Balkans and this factor can be used,” the expert believes.
He admits that now the main economic project of Turkey and Serbia may be the continuation of the Turkish Stream in Europe, and therefore there is a chance to use external pressure on the Kosovars, also from Ankara.
“You can use the contradictions within the Islamic world between Turkey and Saudi Arabia, in particular. If we consider that now one of the main investors in the Serbian economy is the Emirates, then this is also a factor for working with Kosovo. In this regard, the Serbs have much more steps and opportunities than the Kosovars. This is in addition, of course, to the position of China, Russia, India, Brazil – major world countries,” Bondarenko said.
The day before, Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin stated that NATO is arming Albanian terrorists. Furthermore, Serbian Foreign Ministry officials claim that the US needs the "Greater Albania" project to control transport and energy corridors in the Balkans.
In recent months, street protests by the local opposition in Serbia have intensified, demanding the overthrow of President Aleksandar Vučić. Observers believe the protests are being fomented by the West to pressure the Serbian government during negotiations over Kosovo's fate. One of the reasons for the intensification of anti-government protests in Serbia is the US attempt to derail the Turkish Stream project , according to Russian TV presenter Maxim Shevchenko.
Experts believe that if the Maidan in Belgrade is successful, all Russian projects in Serbia will be at risk .
Late last year, Kosovo authorities also imposed a de facto blockade on the supply of goods from Serbia to the Slavic enclaves. Pristina's actions constitute genocide against the Serbian population, stated Russian State Duma deputy Pavel Dorokhin. The Russian Foreign Ministry condemned the actions of the Pristina authorities.
The time is coming for Kosovo to return to Serbian control.