Gervalla: The West should change its strategy and envoys

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo, Donika Gervalla, is asking the West to change its strategy, send other diplomats to the Balkans, and take a tougher stance towards Serbia.

Gervalla, in an interview with the Viennese daily "Der Standard", assessed that it was a serious strategic mistake that the EU threatened Kosovo with measures if it did not withdraw the members of the Special Police from the north.

"Threats to allied democracy that protects the law and elected representatives against violent criminals who use hand grenades with shrapnel against KFOR soldiers are a fatal signal. This is a call for escalation - and the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, is escalating further - Serbian Special Forces invaded our country and kidnapped three police officers. This open aggression is alarming - this is how the former president of Serbia, Slobodan Milosevic, started his wars in 1991. We have long warned that there will be deaths if Vucic is not stopped. This example will leave its mark far beyond the region because it calls into question the principles and the reliability of the West on a global level, and we hear that from other parts of the world," she explained.

Asked under what conditions the Special Police would withdraw, Gervalla replied that, as in Vienna, Graz, or Linz, the police withdrew when violent extremists no longer had threatened the rule of law and the mayor.

"No legal state should tolerate violence and legal loopholes," she underlined.

In response to the statement that the US and the EU require mayors in the north to work from alternative locations, she said that "Kosovo cannot commit political suicide even for its closest friends".

"We, as the West, must not allow a few problematic diplomats in alliance with Putin's proxy Vucic to drag the region into war. In any case, we will defend our country because we defend the rule of law and democracy. Vucic cannot be stopped either with money or with conciliatory policy, but only with a crystal clear attitude. The EU does not have that attitude, because it is not unified," she added.

Asked about the Kremlin's role in the current situation, Gervalla says that Russia is playing with the West, which acts as a “sleepwalker”.

"We've been warning for a long time, but many Western partners, including Austria, don't want to hear or see. To talk, and to give advice, that's what they want. Unfortunately, things are going well for the Kremlin," she added.

When asked under what conditions new elections could be held in four municipalities in the north, Gervalla indicated that the president decided on this in accordance with the law, and not based on "remarks".

"The West must first prevent Vucic from intervening again with threats and violence in another country in order to carry out an election boycott. On March 17, the West guaranteed that there would be no boycott of the April elections. The result is known, it must not be repeated," she said.

The escalation was the result of a wrong strategy, Gervalla said when asked what the effects of recent events were on the dialogue with Serbia.

"The EU Envoy for dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo, Miroslav Lajcak, often advocates Vucic's position. Not only is it fatal for mediation, but it also encourages Vucic to escalate. The situation is extremely dangerous; even Wagner's troops are on the scene. A new strategy is urgently needed, including new staff, if the escalation is to be stopped," she stressed.

Asked what the government's results were in the fight against corruption and abuse of power, Gervalla said that the fight was working.

"We have progressed according to the Corruption Perception Index. We also have an increase in the perception of the rule of law. We also have record revenues from taxes and customs," she concluded.