Unilateral moves by Pristina to the detriment of Serbs, why isn't the West influencing to end such practices?

Despite the agreements reached with the European Union and despite the constant calls from Washington not to take unilateral actions and uncoordinated moves, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti continues to undertake actions that Serbs perceive as a threat. Interlocutors of Kosovo Online believe that the practice of the past two decades has shown that every form of arbitrariness and violence by the political elite in Pristina pays off, as they haven't faced consequences, but also that the assessments of the current prime minister may turn out to be bad, as the patience of the United States is wearing thin.

In just the last four months, since the local elections were held in the north, Kurti has disregarded every call from the West not to take unilateral actions.

Namely, new mayors in municipalities where Serbs are in the majority have entered municipal buildings with the assistance of Kosovo Police. The request of the US and EU for mayors to work from alternative locations is not being respected. The main bridge on the Ibar River was decided to be opened to traffic, the import of Serbian goods was banned, the license for MTS was revoked, and "Civil Protection" and the "Northern Brigade" were declared terrorist organizations. Moreover, the organization of new local elections is being delayed, even though both Brussels and Washington requested that they be held as soon as possible. The latest decision against Serbs is the order for four Serbian institutions to vacate the municipal building in North Mitrovica.

Jurist Milan Antonijevic says for Kosovo Online that this is pressure on the Serbian community in order to force them to leave Kosovo due to the poor quality of life.

"That's the only effect achieved by such unilateral actions, which have intensified since April. I hope this will be stopped with rather harsh measures from both Washington and the European Union. I believe that the United States and our European partners are seeking a solution. I'm not sure if there is a misunderstanding in Pristina about the sanctions imposed on them, because they are serious and can only worsen if Pristina continues with unilateral moves. I also think that they might lose support for some of their other ambitions, such as membership in the Council of Europe and other aspirations. Clearly, Pristina is playing tactics and believes it can behave this way with the current US administration, but I think their gamble and assessment are very poor. And that there really is no more patience in Washington," Antonijevic says.

He believes that Pristina will face consequences in the further course of negotiations if they lose partners completely and their trust, which he claims has been "seriously shaken."

"On the other hand, Belgrade, by staying at the negotiating table and maintaining a fairly constructive attitude while not responding to these provocations, is building a relationship with the international community. Pristina hasn't learned from Serbia's mistakes. After 1995 and Dayton, Serbia was in a way a darling of the West, but then in the next three or four years, that relationship crumbled," Antonijevic notes.

Analyst Aleksandar Gudzic says for Kosovo Online that the practice of the past 24 years has shown that violence pays off for Kosovo Albanians.

"Whether it's verbal or physical violence, legal or acts like kidnappings, murders, or unlawful arrests... Every form of violence pays off for their political elites because it goes unpunished," Gudzic says.

As he notes, the sanctions imposed by the EU on Kosovo are new in the Western approach to Pristina, excluding the arrest of Hashim Thaci.

"But we know how it all ended with Ramush Haradinaj in The Hague court. It was a message to the Serbs not to have high hopes for justice from the international community. Therefore, one should not have great expectations from the sanctions imposed on Kosovo institutions. Violence is necessary for Kurti to maintain his political position because he represents the most radical part of Kosovo society. Although the West has shown dissatisfaction with his policy before, he has continued with it, and nothing will change. Moreover, he will probably start new actions in early September. We can expect new reckless actions from Albin Kurti," Gudzic says.