Vucic: Do what you want, you will not get an independent Kosovo

Do what you want both outside and inside the country, I will not allow you to destroy the country and you will not get an independent Kosovo, as you hoped, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said today from a meeting in Pancevo.

"Today, our country is facing countless difficulties. These difficulties are sometimes caused externally, sometimes internally. All those who think that Serbia is nothing and that it will easily end with Serbia like in 2000 are mistaken," Vucic underlined, emphasizing that he was speaking in the capacity of the President of Serbia.

Vucic said that it had been no coincidence that today the Albanians in Kosovska Mitrovica had presented their mayor, who had won 800 votes against a turnout of only three percent.

He added that he would become mayor with 800 votes for tens of thousands of the Serbs.

Vucic pointed out that the West said it could do it that way, and reported that the Quint claimed that the elections were legal.

"What would they say about Serbia if three percent of voters turned out for the elections? We are told that it is a question of legitimacy when more than 50 percent come out. I want you to know that nothing that happens today is by chance. They thought and expected us to hand them Kosovo and Metohija on a platter. They expected us to say that we have reconciled and that they were right when they bombed our children and demolished our factories. But since we said that we would not give up on international legal norms, the Constitution of Serbia and the territorial integrity of Serbia started to cause problems," he explained.

Vucic underlined that it was no coincidence that yesterday they had stopped the Serbs and collected fines, which they had no right to.

"I spoke with European representatives today and they said it was a mistake. It is always a mistake but to the detriment of the Serbs. Just don't make us always understand you when you are wrong to our detriment and to the detriment of international law. We have nowhere to go, we are a small country and a small nation, but we have one characteristic, which is to protect our own, and not ask for anything from others. We will not give up what is ours, and you can put pressure as much as you want," he emphasized.

Vucic said that he had been worried about the situation in Kosovo, reminding that the Serbs had given a deadline of June 1 to stop harassing citizens of Serbian nationality.

He indicated that he was worried because you never knew what new provocation would come from Pristina.

"Whatever Pristina does, in the end, it will always be Serbia's fault because Kosovo is their child. Serbia is small and weak against all those big ones. What we can do is to preserve our name and surname and our country, and we are doing that, and everything else I am afraid we will have to be stronger in order to defend Serbia," Vucic underlined.

Vucic pointed out that he was ready to talk to everyone, but that he did not agree to blackmail.

"We will talk with Petrohemija as well so that salaries can be increased and people can live better, but please, don't behave like others, the only thing we don't agree to is blackmail. They say, we have taken the road, so you have to do something. That's not how you talk. You can only talk at the table, only when you are not blackmailing,'' he said.

He underlined that the tragedies that had happened in the previous weeks in Belgrade, that is, in Smederevo and Mladenovac, "shook our country and people" and that "everyone was in shock".

"Of course, it was the most difficult for the families of those who died. My condolences again to them. But I saw one more thing. I saw that some people were not sorry at all, but that during the day of mourning, they called political gatherings in order to abuse the grief, pain, and sadness of our people,'' Vucic said.

He pointed out that he had spoken with people "from the services", from whom he had learned that "sister services from the east" warned that, when it came to the "Against Violence" protests, organized by part of the opposition, it was possible that it was about the so-called colored revolutions.

"These are disgusting attempts to abuse grief. As the President of the Republic, I tell you, Serbia is fed up with your revolutions, the arrival of people under foreign influence, and the destruction of everything that is Serbian, of our vital national interests,'' Vucic said.

He added that the Prime Minister of Pristina's temporary institutions, Albin Kurti, had supported the protests.

"On whose side is Albin Kurti, who does he support, the government here, or those who will harass citizens on Gazela? That they don't want us? No, but those who will harass the citizens. Isn't it clear who is on the right side,'' Vucic said.

He warned that it was only a matter of days before an incident would break out at the roadblocks and asked what the point of it all was.

"Since the people don't want them, they are looking for power without elections, but there is none. People's trust is gained in elections, and if you are looking for the heads of people who are not guilty of anything, say 'We want elections'. But you don't want the elections, you want to hang me, to rape the patriarch. Is there any normal idea that you offered to Serbia?" Vucic asked.

He added that everything requested by the opposition had been put on the agenda of the Assembly.

"The only thing is that we will not move away from there, but our MPs will answer you with arguments," he said.

Vucic stated that this government was not to blame for the reality shows, but the previous one.

"You brought 'Big Brother'." We say, let's cancel all the reality shows, and they say they won't cancel everything, but leave the Solak ones, that there is no competition, but that he can make money from them," Vucic said.

He concluded that the only thing the opposition stood for was violence against dissenters and that their opponents "swim in the Sava and Danube."

"My message is that since I became President, no one swam either in the Danube or the Sava, but I offered security for all our people. My message is let's come to an agreement, but I know they don't want to talk because they think they have a majority in Serbia even before they go to the elections," Vucic said.

He said that Serbia needed the broadest movement of all those who loved Serbia.

"That's why we invited you to come to Belgrade on the 26th. Not to show that there is more of us than them, but that we want a united, normal, and decent Serbia, in which no one will persecute anyone who thinks differently, but also a free and libertarian Serbia that will not be regulated by anyone from outside according to their own standards, but only citizens of Serbia," Vucic said.

He said that he would not allow Serbia to forget the misfortunes of its people and asked when March 24, the start of NATO aggression, had begun to be commemorated, as well as how many factories had been shut down by those who were gathering today to protest.

Stating that they say that the average salary is still low, the president said that he agreed, but that it was better than it had been and promised that by the end of 2025, the average salary would be more than 1,000 euros, and the average pension would be more than 450.

"But we have to move on, we have to put up with all their threats, we must not be afraid of them. Is there anyone here who is afraid of them? There are no people in Serbia who kneel down and want to destroy Serbia," he pointed out.

Thanking the citizens for their support for the last 10 years, Vucic said that he had tried to change the face of the country together with the people.

"We have changed a lot, without you I could not do anything. And so thank you very much, no matter what you do, no matter what pressures you exert, be sure that I will never surrender, because Serbia is the most important, the only sanctuary that we have to defend, and no matter what we do, they don't understand that we will come from every city in Serbia on foot to defend Serbia," he said.

Stating that those who are protesting today want to return Serbia to the time of predatory privatizations and misfortune, Vucic said that he was proud to be able to serve the people of Serbia.

"I am proud that I was able to serve you because I will never serve foreigners for a handful of dollars or a mountain of power. I serve and will serve only my people, and that is why I say no withdrawal, no surrender, we will preserve our country, wages and pensions will increase and we will not give nobody to destroy it," the President stressed and called everyone to gather at seven o'clock at a rally in Belgrade.