Graovac: Only pressure from the West can prevent Kurti from provoking conflict

Srdjan Graovac from the Center for Social Stability says that we should expect a further escalation of the already tense situation in the north of Kosovo, as well as an attempt by Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti to provoke a conflict, which he has done before, and the only way to prevent him, is strong pressure from the political West, Politika writes.

Graovac believes that "only a conflict between Serbs and Albanians in northern Kosovo can save Kurti from forming the CSM."

"The last talks between him and the President of Serbia in Brussels showed that the West has finally taken the position that Kurti must implement the agreement now and that talks on its formation should finally begin," Graovac emphasized.

In this way, he points out, Kurti faces a dead-end situation.

"If he were to form the CSM, he would lose the support of the people, and if he refuses, he will enter into conflict with the Western factor, which is not in his interest, nor that of his political party, nor that of the Albanians in Kosovo. He is in a situation where he needs to find a way to delay the formation of the CSM, and there is a fear that the only option left for him is to provoke conflict between Serbs and Albanians. I do not believe he will abandon his intention to have Albanian leaders take over the Serbian municipalities in the north on May 28," Graovac said.

In the coming days, he believes Kurti will indeed try to open the bridge on the Ibar River and increase pressure on Serbs in northern Kosovo to provoke them into taking action that would serve as an excuse to suspend negotiations, and that the war events in the north would be a reason to avoid fulfilling the obligation to form the CSM.

"The only thing that can prevent him is strong pressure from the political West, and it is all in their hands now. The situation will develop depending on their responsibility. If they do not stop Kurti, do not force him to relent on this issue and avoid conflicts in northern Kosovo, and do not prevent Albanian mayors from taking over Serbian municipalities, then there is a very real danger of conflict," Graovac emphasized.

Graovac believes that every future high-level meeting will be a new pressure on Kurti, which he faced even before the last meeting in Brussels, that he must form the CSM.

"The only way for Kurti to avoid the formation of the CSM is for the West to withdraw its decision. However, the West obviously wants an agreement between Belgrade and Pristina, which means they will continue to pressure him to implement it. If he decisively refuses to implement it, and he is already in a situation where he must discuss it, he will bear the consequences of that within the Albanian electorate in Kosovo," Graovac concludes.