Todorovic: Violations of human rights are a potential trigger for radicalization and conflict in Kosovo

Marko Todorovic, a fellow at the Center for European Policy, stated that human rights violations in Kosovo could lead to further radicalization, and that Western concerns are justified. However, he noted that a "new front" similar to the Middle East, as recently warned by Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, should not be expected.

"A certain level of Western concern is certainly justified, especially considering that any human rights violations, which are definitely occurring in Kosovo and are well-known to international organizations and actors, can always lead to further radicalization and uprisings by those who are affected. In that sense, the potential for certain conflicts does exist," Todorovic told Kosovo Online.

Marko Todorovic believes that Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto is well-informed about the situation in Kosovo and that the West is justifiably concerned about potential unwanted developments.

"Guido Crosetto has previously been quite familiar with the situation in Kosovo. He has spoken about it before, and as Minister during the incident in Zvecan, where Italian soldiers were injured, it's clear why he's concerned, and why the West is generally worried about what might happen in Kosovo. I would say, however, that his concerns may be somewhat exaggerated when he claims there is potential for a conflict as explosive as in Gaza, because the regional dynamics and historical circumstances are different. I don’t believe that the scale of the conflict could be as large," Todorovic explained.

Commenting on Prime Minister Albin Kurti's response that the EU and the U.S. are overly concerned about actions in northern Kosovo, Todorovic said that such a statement was expected, but not encouraging.

"Kurti is trying to present all his unilateral actions over the past year and more as purely internal matters for Kosovo, something that a sovereign state has the right to decide, while ignoring the context of dialogue with Belgrade, which is a commitment for Pristina in the eyes of all international actors," Todorovic stressed.

He expects that the authorities in Pristina may continue with unilateral actions and further provocations aimed at Serbs in northern Kosovo.

"I believe this is in the interest of the Pristina authorities," Todorovic said firmly.

He reminded that following last year's events in Banjska, Pristina accused Serbia of being a "militant actor" capable of threatening security across the entire Balkans.

However, a year later, he believes, Serbia is viewed as a constructive partner.

"I believe Kurti’s interest is to keep tensions simmering, so that if Serbia intervenes in any way, he could say, 'Look, I’ve been warning about this all along, and this is what the international community failed to account for: that Serbia is a dangerous militant actor in the Balkans,'" Todorovic noted.

He also emphasized that Pristina perceives NATO as being on its side in the event of any intervention by Belgrade.

"This belief is grounded in the perception that it’s difficult to change the entrenched opinion of the international community about who the 'good guys' and 'bad guys' are. Kosovo expects NATO to always side with it. However, given all the statements we’ve heard from Western officials, I think that belief is unfounded. Moreover, what’s perhaps more important is that Serbia, at this moment, does not appear to be a country willing to get involved, respond to these provocations, or enter into conflict, especially as it would worsen its relations with the West, which have become more positive over the past year, particularly after the purchase of Rafale jets and its closer geopolitical alignment with the West," Todorovic concluded.