Colonel Jacques Hogard: KFOR hasn't fulfilled its mission, even Albanians are leaving Kosovo

The former senior officer of the French Foreign Legion and commander of the French special forces that defended the Devic Monastery near Srbica in 1999, Colonel Jacques Hogard, in an interview with Kosovo Online, says that KFOR did not fulfill its mission and that the essence of the NATO intervention against FR Yugoslavia was to take away a part of Serbia's territory and force the Serbs to leave, but today Albanians are also leaving Kosovo.

In 1999, you saved the Devic Monastery. But five years later, Albanians set it on fire. Why couldn't KFOR or NATO prevent that violence on March 17, 2004?

I think NATO's plan was for the majority of Serbs to leave the province. That plan eventually succeeded. Many Serbs left, and that was NATO's plan from the beginning.

How do you assess KFOR's role today, 25 years after the arrival of peacekeeping forces in Kosovo? Has it fulfilled its mission?

I believe that KFOR's mission was not successful due to the departure of a large number of Serbs. Albanian insurgents took advantage of the opportunity to declare independence in 2008, which the European Union accepted. France also did so. KFOR's mission facilitated that process, which was bad. We now see, 25 years later, what is happening in Kosovo. It's even funny when you see that even Albanians are leaving Kosovo today. That is a failure, truly a failure. We can measure the effects of the war, that illegal war against Serbia to take away its southern province. That was the basis of that war, and now we see very poor effects of it.

In your book "Europe has died in Pristina," you claim that the NATO bombing was a mistake?

Yes. War is always terrible. That's why I hope NATO fails in Ukraine because war is synonymous with destruction. The European Union should not be proud of allowing NATO to do what it did in Kosovo and Metohija 25 years ago. The consequences are there, and they are bad.

How do you assess the current security situation in the Western Balkans?

The security situation is very sensitive. There has been no stabilization, and that is very dangerous. None of the problems have been solved; all the problems are still there. You know, I think Kosovo's independence is a dream, something that is neither realistic nor possible. Kosovo belongs to Serbia, in my opinion, just as I believe Kosovo also belongs to Albania. But the self-proclaimed Republic of Kosovo is nothing. It's a state on paper, not in reality. It cannot survive based on its own capacities. So, the problem is not solved.

Do you expect that the end of the war between Russia and Ukraine will determine future geopolitical relations, as well as the position of Kosovo?

We are witnessing very important, pivotal events on the geopolitical scene and in the world situation. I believe that the period of US dominance, including NATO, is coming to an end and that a new period is coming in which we will see a multipolar world. I think this will be much better for peace, for balancing between different blocs that already exist worldwide. I believe Russia will prevail in Ukraine. The other option is not realistic. And that will certainly change the balance in the world, and of course, in the Balkans, and possibly when it comes to Kosovo as well.

President Emmanuel Macron said that "Europe should prepare for war if it wants peace," and after that, France could send its soldiers to Ukraine?

I think those are just words. I completely disagree with Macron's claim. First, he doesn't know what war is. If he knew what war was, then he would give preference to diplomacy, and he is not showing an example of diplomacy but rather amateurish politics and statements. I hope he won't send French soldiers into that adventure, which would have no success. I hope for that because the French army is very good, but it is still small, with less and less equipment, ammunition, and other things. This is a consequence of the policy that has succeeded in France. Today we have a very good army, but only for operations in Africa or elsewhere in the world. It's not an army ready for today's modern conflicts. For example, our artillery is weak, and we see its importance in today's conflicts. It would be much more effective if France had a balanced relationship between Ukraine, NATO, the US, and Russia. That was France's previous role, but not now. And that's a shame.

At the same time, European officials are planning a new defense strategy. What is your opinion on this?

There is still no unity in Europe, and that is evident. The opposition between Germany and France, as well as other countries that make up the European Union, shows that all these countries are only looking out for their own interests and do not have a global vision of European interests. That is evident. I also do not believe in European unity. I don't even believe that it is the path we should take to build a European community from west to east, including Russia. That is my advice. It is not up to NATO to ignore the East, especially not Russia. In the 19th century, the French Ambassador and writer Francois-Rene de Chateaubriand said that France and Russia were destined to be friends for the interest, peace, and prosperity of the whole of Europe. And I think the same. That was also the idea of General De Gaulle, which he tried to promote. Now we are literally doing the opposite, and there is nothing positive in that policy.

A few days ago, it was announced that the largest NATO base in Europe will be built in Romania?

That is a provocation and a threat to Russia. What do we want to achieve with that? Do we want war, and conflicts on the European continent, or do we want to solve problems through diplomatic talks, even if they are difficult, but based on history, geography, and truth? There is no peace without justice, but there is no justice without truth. And again, we are doing the exact opposite. Even if Pope Francis and I am not his worshiper, says that NATO is like a dog on the borders with Russia, that is a provocation. What do we really want to achieve with that? If we really want war, maybe we will get it, and it will be a catastrophe for the entire continent. One hundred years ago, we had the first great war, and it was a tragedy for Europe. European youth were killed. And it was a tragedy for France, but also for Germany and Serbia. All European countries suffered deeply because of that war. Please, let's not repeat that a century later, for the sake of future generations, for our grandchildren. Please stop NATO from inciting war. NATO is a war criminal organization because it is only there for US interests, its economic, and strategic interests, and Europeans are not capable of understanding that. It's horrifying to me.

Are you afraid of the scenario where the EU could enter into war against Russia? At this moment, that is a very real scenario.

The European Union is not a state; it is just a group of states. I know that Mrs. Von der Leyen would like to be the head of Europe, but she is not. She is an official and is paid to organize discussions between the presidents of EU states. That is all her job entails. It is very important to stop it. NATO and the EU are actually two sides of the same coin. This is not just something I claim; even Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO Secretary-General, says so. And he is mistaken in that. NATO and the EU are not the same. Stop thinking like that.

Should the Western Balkans be afraid of the establishment of such a base in Romania?

I don't know to what extent the West understands the situation in Romania today and the influence of NATO, not only in this country but also in Moldova and other countries. But the West is concerned about the possibility of war. Escalation, including verbal aggression, can eventually lead to physical aggression, to war. Many people are increasingly aware of that NATO risk, and that's why I published a book in France a few weeks ago in which I tried to explain the current situation and the essential risks and what could cause the situation we are currently heating up. There is a way to return to diplomacy. As a soldier, I can say that war is terrible, and I much prefer that problems be resolved through diplomacy.