Rakovic: Economically and politically strengthened Serbia is a concern for the region, that's why they are forming alliances against it

Historian Aleksandar Rakovic stated for Kosovo Online that some countries in the region were forming "new-old alliances", seeking punishment and sanctions against Serbia due to the events in Banjska, with the goal of weakening it, as it was seen as an economic and political thorn in their side.

"These are not new alliances; they date back to the times of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes and Yugoslavia. Zagreb has been the organizational center of these alliances, and that's where it all originated. This arc extended from Zagreb through the Dinaric region all the way to Sofia. It's been somewhat redefined now, with multiple centers. These include Zagreb, political Sarajevo, separatist Cetinje, separatist Pristina, and Skopje when it comes to the Albanian factor in Macedonia. So these are old alliances being deepened and renewed when they think the opportunity arises. Banjska provided them with a chance to launch a joint attack against Serbia," Rakovic believes.

However, Rakovic adds that he is confident that Serbia will prevail even against the factors from the surrounding region.

"However, the far greater problem is the so-called Western international factors, the international community, and political Brussels, Washington, and London, which continually exert pressure on Serbia and the Serbs to resolve the Kosovo and Metohija issue as they envision, rather than in a just manner," Rakovic notes.

In his opinion, "what is being discussed and demanded in Zagreb" will have no effect on Serbia.

"They aim to align themselves as closely as possible and take the initiative for more radical solutions. I don't even believe they received orders from anyone to push for those radical solutions or demand sanctions against Serbia. However, they think that if they go a step further, they will satisfy their sponsors in Brussels, and then those in Washington. The solution depends solely on Western factors, not on those here. It doesn't depend on Zagreb, Sarajevo, Cetinje, Pristina, or Skopje. If the West wants it, they will do it. It doesn't seem likely to me, but that doesn't mean the situation won't change," Rakovic states.

He notes that only one more event, of much lower intensity than the one in Banjska, could have consequences. However, when it comes to sanctions, he believes they would affect prominent individuals rather than the state.

According to Rakovic, many have targeted Serbia because it has strengthened economically and politically.

"Serbia is a thorn in the side, especially now that it has grown economically and begun to regain confidence. Confidence has returned to all Serbs wherever they live, as we can see in the Republika Srpska and Montenegro. Confidence is on the rise, and it annoys all the others in the region. They have no answer to Serbia's superior policy and can't respond to the superior ideas that come from Serbia. So, they resort to these feeble arguments - impose sanctions on them, punish them, but it only reveals their weakness, which they may not fully realize," Rakovic emphasizes.

Rakovic concludes that all these countries forming alliances to weaken Serbia's position would have no chance when facing it in a different geopolitical environment and the battle of political ideas.