Senior lawmakers from the United States and Europe are urging for a shift in the Western diplomatic strategy towards Serbia and Kosovo. Concerns have been mounting over escalating tensions between the two nations, prompting the call for a change in approach.
The lawmakers claim that negotiators from the United States and European Union have not exerted enough pressure on Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. Serbia and Kosovo have been embroiled in conflict for decades, with their war in 1998-99 resulting in the deaths of over 10,000 people, primarily Kosovo Albanians. Despite Kosovo declaring independence in 2008, Belgrade refuses to recognize it.
The lawmakers’ joint letter, addressed to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, and U.K. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, outlines a series of incidents that have raised concerns. These include attacks on NATO peacekeepers following a boycott of municipal elections in Kosovo by Serbs living in the north of the country in April. The letter warns that the situation is rapidly deteriorating, endangering not only the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue but also regional peace.
The dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, led by Borrell and his team, aims to normalize relations between the two nations. However, emergency talks held in June between Vucic, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, and Borrell failed to yield significant results. The leaders held separate talks, with their differing interpretations of the causes and solutions hindering progress.
The lawmakers emphasize that the current approach is ineffective and advocate for a broader perspective that does not center solely on Belgrade. They highlight a lack of pressure on Serbia regarding attacks on peacekeepers and the detention of Kosovo police officers. According to the lawmakers, the diplomatic response from the West lacks fairness in addressing such critical issues.
While Vucic sees the letter as directed against Serbia rather than him personally, he asserts that it is his responsibility to advocate for the rights of the Serbian people in Bosnia and Montenegro. Despite his past ultranationalist views, Vucic now aims to bring Serbia into the EU. However, concerns remain over his close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his refusal to impose sanctions on Russia for its conflict with Ukraine.
There are fears in the West that Moscow could exploit Belgrade to rekindle ethnic conflicts in the Balkans, diverting attention from the ongoing war in Ukraine. Moreover, Kurti, who has a background as a Kosovo independence activist and has served prison time in both Serbia and Kosovo, has proven to be a challenging interlocutor in the negotiation process. Limited progress has been made in improving relations since his assumption of office as prime minister in 2021.
Senior Lawmakers Call for Change in Western Approach toward Serbia and Kosovo
