Vucevic: Path in the wrong direction if Kurti goes for the barricades; no new Storm

If Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti goes for the barricades, it is a path in the wrong direction that leads to a catastrophic scenario, Serbian Defense Minister Milos Vucevic said and added that in that case, Serbia would not wait for refugee columns on Jarinje and Brnjak, and anyone who thought that way had the wrong assumption, RTV reports.

"There is no new 'Flash' and 'Storm', and there is no March 2004. If someone thinks that we are waiting for refugee columns in Jarinje and Brnjak with water and sandwiches, then that is a wrong assumption and thinking. I would not like to see that scenario, and I hope that no one wants to check whether we are serious or determined," Minister Vucevic said in a statement to Tanjug.

Speaking about what will happen if KFOR rejects Serbia's request to return Serbian security forces to Kosovo, the minister said that Serbia would have to receive additional guarantees that KFOR was capable of preserving peace for all citizens.

He expressed the hope that the West would not allow incidents to occur in Kosovo.

"If you ask me what is the impression when you talk to high representatives, primarily NATO, which is de facto KFOR, they don't want any conflicts. What will politics do, and who is encouraging Kurti to do all that – I can't draw a conclusion that I can share with the citizens. Maybe I know something, but not enough to be able to claim it," Vucevic said.

He added that he hoped everyone was aware of the danger.

"It is not in anyone's interest for Albin Kurti to fabricate the story as he imagined, that is, to go for the complete expulsion of Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija, which is his ultimate political goal. Whether it is license plates, identity cards, elections, election commissions, the replacement of policemen, the arrest of a Serb, the fight against crime and the gray economy, believe it or not, it is always in Serbian areas," the minister said.

He added that it was clear that Kosovo was not an example of respect for the law and the rule of law and emphasized that it was characteristic that they had always tried to show that there were some criminal activities only where Serbs were.

"Unfortunately, you can hear that narrative from some people from central Serbia too, which is irresponsible, selfish, and counterproductive. It is suicidal for someone to claim that criminal groups in northern Kosovo are the problem and the reason why Kurti is sending the special police. With that, you pass the ball to Kurti to shoot the penalty, and at the same time, they give our goalkeeper a red card. That's the scenario," Vucevic noted.

The minister pointed out that Belgrade would continue to seek a political agreement, in other words, to continue the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, to return it to the format of politics and diplomacy, and not any conflict or escalation on the ground.

"It is in our interest to preserve peace as a state and nation and to preserve peace for the sake of the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija. We are interested in preserving peace in Kosovo and Kosovo, not only in the north but also in the south, south of the Ibar. A large number of Serbs live south of the Ibar. Let's not forget Strpce, Gracanica, Kosovsko Pomoravlje, and the other Serbian villages in Metohija, as well," Vucevic stated.