Vucevic: Kurti is threatening, he is not interested in the cost of human lives

Serbian Defense Minister Milos Vucevic, indicated today that the statement of Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, that the removal of barricades could not exclude casualties, was a general threat to Serbia and the people of Kosovo and a clear message that Kurti did not care about human casualties.

"It is a threat to all of us, above all to our people who live in Kosovo and Metohija, and a clear message that Albin Kurti does not even care about human casualties. He said yesterday morning that he is not interested in the price of human lives," Vucevic told RTS.

He points out that such statements are dangerous because they show that "Kurti is not giving up on carrying out terror against the Serbs and his ultimate goal, which is for the Serbs to leave their homes".

"We should not mystify what the ultimate goal of Albin Kurti's government is, to ethnically cleanse Kosovo, primarily the north," the minister added.

Speaking about how the night passed at the barricades in the north of Kosovo, he stated that there were no additional events that would lead to escalation, if, as he added, it could even get more complicated.

"The situation is so tense and dramatic in northern Kosovo and Metohija. What is positive is that there was no physical contact between the two sides and no attacks on the Serbian community, which, unfortunately, cannot be excluded it will not happen in the coming hours or days, especially considering statements that we heard yesterday from Albin Kurti, and unfortunately also from some high diplomatic representatives, which further worries and complicates this dramatic situation," Vucevic adds.

He points out that Serbs have been on the roads and streets for 12 days in unfavorable weather conditions.

"Some people are still talking about the consequences of the roadblocks, they are not dealing with the causes - what is it and what kind of torment forced the Serbs in northern Kosovo to show up on the roads and fight for rights and freedom in a peaceful and democratic way," Vucevic emphasizes.

He says that we must not forget that we have many Serbs living south of the Ibar.

"We must not forget those people. It is a very complicated situation, and when you have the ambassador of Germany, the strongest European country, who says that everything must be removed by December 25, and previously Kurti says it will be removed regardless of the casualties – then that is a scenario that leads us not to calm, but to complete chaos," Vucevic says.

When asked what such messages meant for our security services and army, Vucevic pointed out that it meant no relaxation.

"This means that Serbia must continue everything that is up to us in the context of diplomatic contacts and talks and that no matter how much all that is happening to us is emotionally charged, we must prevail and be guided by rational reasons, to think rationally and not allow our emotions overwhelm us so that we make a mistake," Vucevic stressed.

EULEX has warned about the disturbing situation in the north, and they were worried about armed and masked individuals and groups.

"I hope EULEX is referring to the illegal access, the occupation of positions in the north by what they define as the Kosovo police. I don't think they are talking about the Serbian community again. I hope they are talking about Kurti's police, which contrary to all existing international agreements, acts that are guaranteed by the EU, occupy a position in northern Kosovo and Metohija, which they may not enter without the consent of the mayors of those four municipalities," the minister said.

He reminded that Pristina also replaced the commander of the North region.

"So that it isn't thought again that some Serbian criminal paramilitary formations are involved, so that we don't go in that direction again and that narrative and scenario get taken out of a drawer again. That's why it's important to be calm and rational so that we don't get into that matrix since the writers of those scenarios are well-known to us and are now hinting at what the division of roles might be. We must not enter the story again where we fall into the trap that we are the bad guys who spoil everything that is ideal," Vucevic adds.

Answering the question of where the Serbian army and police are at the moment and how far they are from the administrative checkpoints, Vucevic says that the army is taking care of all aspects of security.

"Our army is well deployed following strategic assessments and operational-tactical tasks, so our army takes care of all aspects of the security of our country. Serbia must be calm, and we must go in the direction of political dialogue, but there are red lines - no Storm, no Flash, no March 2004," Vucevic concludes.