Rastovic: London favors Albanians, I am skeptical about the objectivity of British troops in KFOR

Historian Aleksandar Rastovic comments on the announced reinforcement of KFOR with British soldiers, emphasizing the international community's obligation under UN Security Council Resolution 1244 to ensure peace and security for the Serbian people in Kosovo. However, he also expresses skepticism regarding the objectivity of these troops, given, as he mentions, the previous experience that showed London's favoritism toward the Albanians.

Rastovic points out that the international community's obligation is to ensure peace and security for both the Serbian people and all other citizens living in Kosovo, and he notes that KFOR, along with the EULEX Mission, has remained completely passive in all recent events in Banjska since September 24.

While Rastovic acknowledges the general need to strengthen KFOR, he expresses concern due to Britain's historical role in the Yugoslav crisis of the 1990s and its presence in the Balkans over the past 150–200 years.

"The bias of these units was evident in 1999 when the Yugoslav army and police withdrew from Kosovo and Metohija following the Kumanovo Agreement, and the British contingent was deployed in the Pristina sector. Instead of ensuring objectivity toward all citizens, they acted partially, favoring Albanians over the Serbian people, who after that began to emigrate," Rastovic said.

He also expresses skepticism because he fears that the recent escalation of conflicts in Kosovo is a result of NATO's failure in Ukraine.

"It's clear that things aren't going well for them over there, at least not as they envisioned, and they need to justify a failure of some action to both their domestic and international audiences. There's always a scapegoat to be found. I'm afraid that in this situation, it might be the Balkans where old conflicts and misunderstandings could flare up again, creating a new crisis," he stated.

Rastovic emphasizes that Serbia is interested in peace, as demonstrated in recent weeks, months, and years.

As he says, if anyone has an interest in peace, it's Serbia. It's also in Serbia's interest to see the situation in Kosovo return to some semblance of normalcy and to replace the war drums that Kosovo authorities and Prime Minister Albin Kurti have been beating in recent weeks and months with renewed dialogue.

"Peace is in the interest of both Serbs and Albanians, and the Serbian side is well aware of this because we have been exposed to wartime situations, including the 1999 bombing, and we know very well what war and sanctions entail. It would be good for them to be objective, but considering the situation in recent years, decades, and even centuries and the role of Great Britain in the Balkans, I express significant skepticism about the objectivity of these British troops that will be deployed in Kosovo," Rastovic concluded.