Mitic: Despite some critical voices, no changes in the west’s approach toward Pristina

Aleksandar Mitic, a research associate at the Institute for International Politics and Economics in Belgrade, told Kosovo Online that relations between Kosovo and the West are not particularly low, despite frequent claims to the contrary. He noted that while there are some critical voices toward Pristina compared to the period when the West orchestrated Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence, there have been no fundamental changes in the West’s approach toward Pristina.

“We have seen significant manipulation over the past two years regarding the so-called sanctions against Pristina, which have been nothing more than a farce and a trick. Often, there was a ‘good cop, bad cop’ dynamic among Quint countries, but the fact remains that nothing substantive has changed. The pressure has been extremely weak, if not nonexistent. This is best demonstrated by the fact that Albin Kurti has not budged an inch on his positions regarding the Serbian community, the implementation of the Brussels Agreement—especially concerning the Community of Serb Municipalities—or in his rhetoric toward Belgrade. Nothing has changed, which either means that Albin Kurti is stronger than the entire West and Quint or that they have not pressured him at all,” Mitic explained.

He added that when examining Kurti’s recent activities—meetings in Brussels and Paris, as well as regular contacts with other EU officials, albeit not always at the highest levels—there is no indication that he is in the kind of isolation some might want to portray.

“This is particularly disappointing for the West, which does not stand by its words. It would be much better if they took concrete actions and moved from words to deeds. However, I am not optimistic in this regard because I believe their joint effort to legitimize so-called Kosovo sovereignty continues successfully through the ethnic cleansing of Serbs and their exclusion from any institutions. There is no critical reflection on the period before the Serbs left the institutions, as if that period doesn’t exist at all. The reasons why Serbs left the institutions are not considered. Little is said about implementing the Brussels Agreement and the Community of Serb Municipalities, and when it is mentioned, it is in vague principles and procedures. Meanwhile, there is an insistence on the Ohrid Agreement, which is disgraceful and would effectively mean de facto recognition of Kosovo—a move Serbia naturally does not accept and, I hope, never will,” Mitic said.

In conclusion, Mitic stated that Albin Kurti would undoubtedly push his agenda until the end of the election campaign. While he may face some criticism from the West, he will continue on his path, which has so far yielded results primarily by driving out the Serbian population from Kosovo and deepening divisions with Belgrade.