Petkovic: Kurti wants to be the master of life and death

The director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, said that putting the Serbian Army and Ministry of Internal Affairs special units on the highest level of combat readiness was a response to the immediate threat of war and everything that Pristina was doing to carry out an attack on the north of Kosovo, RTS reports.

Petkovic stated that the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, decided to put the Army at the highest level of combat readiness until the moment of the armed force use. The special units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs have also been put on the highest level of combat readiness.

"This is our response to the immediate threat of war and all that Pristina is doing to carry out an attack on the north of Kosovo. Given that Pristina has raised the combat readiness of the Kosovo Security Forces to the highest level, preparing those units, long guns, and armored vehicles to attack the Serbian people in the north of Kosovo, with the intention of attacking our women, old people, children, men, our people who are just defending their right to life at the barricades," Petkovic emphasized.

He says that we are hanging on by our fingernails.

"We really do everything to preserve peace, and that is primarily done by President Vucic. No one spoke more about peace and stability than President Vucic. When we talk about the relations between Belgrade and Pristina, you have Albin Kurti, who stated that it was a matter of days before they would remove the barricades. He directly threatens to kill Serbs at the barricades. He wants to create a new narrative that the attack on the north of Kosovo and Metohija is the liberation of the north from some criminals, namely our mothers, doctors, professors, students, etc. Those people at the barricades are defending their right to stay in Kosovo and Metohija with dignity. You saw the magnificent gathering near Rudare, where more than 10,000 Serbs were present. No one in Europe can hear their voice that they are disenfranchised, that the CSM has not been formed for more than 10 years, that their right to vote is revoked, and that they are forbidden to vaccinate. Not to mention ROSU raids, which have happened almost every month recently," Petkovic said.

Pristina's operational plan is known

He notes that the Serbian services are doing their job seriously and that almost every step of Pristina and their operational plan is known.

"Pogrom and "Storm" will never happen again. President Vucic said this many times. It is important that our people know that behind them is the state of Serbia, which is ready to protect the lives of our people who do not bother anyone. They say in Pristina that freedom of movement is threatened. Tell us, which Albanians are threatened with freedom of movement?" Petkovic asked.

He notes that instead of mentioning the barricades, the EU should now do everything to force Pristina to abandon its insane decision to attack northern Kosovo.

"It should have forced Pristina to form the CSM, and not let us wait ten years," Petkovic says.

He states that it is terrible that the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church is banned from entering Kosovo. It is the first time in history that a patriarch is forbidden to go to the Patriarchate of Pec.

"The patriarch is a man of peace, who preaches love. How is it possible that Kurti forbade the Serbian patriarch from going to the territory of Kosovo and Metohija, even though the visit was announced on time, in accordance with the procedures? A shameful explanation came from Pristina that the reason for stopping him was that he should first dissociate from the Serbian people and the barricades. Albin Kurti would like to change centuries-old canons, to be the master of life and death," Petkovic pointed out.

Petkovic points out that it is a Catholic Christmas, but that a way is being sought to preserve the Serbian people in Kosovo, how to meet all the demands of the Serbs as a condition for them to withdraw from the barricades.

"It is better to negotiate for a thousand days than to fight for one. We don't want that, the Serbian people don't want that. The one who wants to attack the bare-handed Serbian people is Albin Kurti, who puts the army in combat readiness. No one will watch that from the sidelines. President Vucic is at the head of the state, and he will know how to save our people in Kosovo and Metohija," Petkovic stated.

Threats come from Pristina

He states that Serbia is ready to preserve peace and stability but also ready to respond to threats coming from Pristina.

"The barricades represent a democratic and peaceful means for our people to express their dissatisfaction because they experience the terror and cruelty of Albin Kurti almost every day," Petkovic points out.

According to his words, the fact that combat readiness has been raised means the full responsibility of the state and government towards the people and the country's future.

"We will not allow the pogrom of our people to happen. We constantly did everything to preserve the peace, raise our country and the economy, open new factories, to raise salaries and pensions. We were looking for ways to normalize relations with Pristina even when they did not want to talk. We will protect our people, peace, stability, and the future of our country, there is no surrender," Petkovic concluded.