Brankovic: By displaying flags at institutions in the north, Pristina wants to cause a stormy reaction

A long-time diplomat and former ambassador to the United Nations, Branko Brankovic, told Sputnik today that Pristina had displayed flags at institutions in the north of Kosovo in order to provoke a violent reaction from the Serbs, and assessed that until June 1, the international community had enough time to "reason" the Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti.

"The display of the flag should have been like a red flag for a bull in a bullfight," Brankovic said.

Brankovic said this on the occasion of the announcement by the Serbs from the north of Kosovo that they would be forced to defend their right to stay with all possible means if Pristina did not stop the repression by June 1.

He believes that in politics, the 10 days left until the deadline that the Serbs submitted is long enough for the international community to react.

"One thing is certain, and that is that there will be talks with the countries of the Quint and with others in order to try to make Albin Kurti understand to some extent. On the other hand, no one knows the plan of the Serbs with Kosovo and Metohija, what they could do, what would cause Pristina to attempt to forestall any possible action by the Serbs and to send some of their units," Brankovic believes.

According to him, Pristina is disappointed, because it expected a violent reaction from the Serbs, but "thank God" it didn’t happen.

"And the countries of the Quint, which made all this happen, could react in the coming days because they were contacted by us and informed about the seriousness of the situation. It is clear as day that Kurti does not do anything on his own without the approval of his mentors, but the question of whether the West needs a conflict in Kosovo at this moment because all their forces are still concentrated on Ukraine. If they decide that they need another focal point, how would they force Serbia to 'accelerate' some steps regarding the story of Kosovo and Metohija, then all possibilities are open," Brankovic says.

Brankovic is convinced that, even if there is some action on the part of the Serbian side, it will be in accordance with democratic behavior, that is, peaceful protests, a boycott of institutions, and so on.

"However, this does not mean that Pristina will stop provocations, because that is the only way they can justify their eventual action," he adds.

Serbian Minister of Defense, Milos Vucevic, said recently that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti planned to physically take over four municipalities in the north of Kosovo on May 28.

Colonel Ljubinko Djurkovic, the commander of the defense in Kosare, sees behind all this the intention of the Albanians to expand their territory, which, he says, is a goal they have never given up on.

"They are certainly thinking seriously about what they are doing, which is to take over the north of Kosovo with administrative, repressive, and violent measures, with the help of their Security Forces, of course. It is undeniable that our bare-handed people, for the sake of their identity and dignity, will try to prevent such a thing," Djurkovic says.

He points out that the Serbian side is trying to preserve peace because "Serbs are not extremists or adventurers".

"They actually use it to lead to a conflict, which would allow them to ethnically cleanse the last Serbian territory in Kosovo and Metohija," the colonel says.