Tafani: Risk of allies withdrawing recognition of Kosovo because of the Hague verdict

Analyst Endri Tafani said that, in countries that traditionally support Kosovo, the verdict against the former KLA leaders will not have a significant impact for now, but that in the long term the situation is not entirely certain, warning of the risk that recognition of independence could be withdrawn.

Tafani said that, alongside Serbia and President Aleksandar Vucic's address to the UN General Assembly, the support of Russia and other countries close to it, as well as states that do not yet recognize Kosovo's independence, another risk factor could be the strengthening of right-wing forces in Europe.

“All of this does not provide any guarantee in the long term that things will remain as they currently are,” Tafani said.

Speaking about the possible political consequences if the international community is influenced by the Hague verdict, the analyst cited the withdrawal of recognition of Kosovo as the first and, as he put it, most alarming consequence.

“The withdrawal of recognition by major countries is in itself a problem, because it would then call the entire state of Kosovo into question,” he told Klan Kosova.