Vucic: More countries will withdraw recognition of Kosovo

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, announced tonight that more countries would withdraw their recognition of Kosovo.

"There will be more countries withdrawing recognition of Kosovo," he emphasized in an interview for RTS.

When asked if he could name the countries or at least the continents they are from, he replied, "from beautiful continents."

"From Asia, Africa, and South America. Surely, you don’t think Canada or the USA will withdraw their recognition. There's nothing to discuss with them about this, except to seek good economic relations," Vucic underlined.

Today, all of Europe understands what is happening in Pristina

Asked about the situation in Kosovo, Vucic said that now everyone sees what is happening.

"Now everything is clear, both in Europe and globally. Previously, we could count on Russia and China among the great powers, and we still can. I had an excellent conversation with Sergey Lavrov, and I am scheduled to attend the Victory Day Parade in Moscow on May 9. I have agreed with Robert Fico to travel together. He will come to Belgrade, and we will fly together. Today, all of Europe understands what is happening in Pristina. They lied a lot about everything, especially about the Ibar-Lepenac canal. We will stand with our people in Kosovo and Metohija," Vucic emphasized.

Kurti's actions are a sign of weakness

Commenting on the latest action by the Kosovo police—the raid on the public urban space and construction land directorates in North Mitrovica and their closure—Vucic stated that this is a sign of Albin Kurti's weakness.

"In the end, this is just an expression of his impotence. And the Serbs have started to realize that," the president emphasized.

Asked whether he expects the U.S. policy on Kosovo to change after Donald Trump takes office, he replied that he does not believe there will be a significant change but hopes there will be some.

"We have many friends in Trump's administration, more than in the previous one. We are already talking with many people; I have spoken with some, and we will continue to do so. Some of them have businesses in Belgrade. We have an exceptional individual, Rod Blagojevich, who is highly respected in Trump's administration, and I believe we can expect something better," Vucic said.

Concerned about the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the campaign against Dodik and Republic of Srpska

When asked about the situation in Republic of Srpska, Vucic expressed great concern.

"I see a kind of daily campaign against Serbia and the Serbian people in Sarajevo, which is bad, but we do not have such a campaign here. It’s good that we don’t, and I will never allow a campaign against Bosniaks," he emphasized.

Vucic noted that ten years ago, the migration ratio from Novi Pazar to Sarajevo was 8:1 in favor of Belgrade. Now, four times as many people move to Belgrade compared to Sarajevo.

"People want to live in a better place. I will not say a single bad word about Bosniaks. But what they are doing to Milorad Dodik and Republic of Srpska, including foreigners and others, doesn’t make much sense," he stated.

According to him, Republic of Srpska will always be able to count on Serbia's support, as will Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"I don’t understand, especially the requests to send doctors to verify if Dodik really had surgery. I visited him in the hospital. Why try to humiliate someone? He hasn’t lied about anything. They are sending commissions to verify things. They are prosecuting him de facto for verbal delicts and non-compliance with decisions, so much for corruption and other claims," Vucic said.

He added that he is not optimistic about how things will end.

"I don’t know how it will end, but I will do everything to contribute to the stabilization of Republic of Srpska and Bosnia and Herzegovina, so there is peace," Vucic emphasized.

Difficult year ahead

Vucic pointed out that a challenging year lies ahead, given the 30th anniversaries of Srebrenica, Operation Storm, and Bratunac.

"I fear there will be an excess of passion and a lack of reason, and that greatly worries me," the president admitted.

He stressed the importance of engaging in dialogue with regional leaders about peace instead of focusing solely on mutual accusations and past grievances.

"The essence is to understand that we must jointly build the region’s future," Vucic concluded.

Noting the significance of initiatives like "Open Balkan" and open borders, he lamented that such efforts are often perceived in the region as "Serbian and Vucic's conspiracy."

"I have never used the term 'Serbian World.' They say Vulin speaks on my behalf. But no one speaks for me," the Serbian president added.

No Expectations from the Presidential Elections in Croatia

“It doesn’t matter; they all agree that Serbia is a strategic adversary, and the enemy is whoever successfully leads Serbia—Aleksandar Vucic. That is the common denominator of their entire policy. They would want someone who apologizes for the expulsion of 250,000 people during 'Operation Storm,' for the killing of thousands, for the tens of thousands killed in Jasenovac, someone who apologizes at every summit for 'aggression'…” Vucic remarked.

He wished the best to the citizens of Serbia, as well as all Serbs in Kosovo, Montenegro, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and also in Croatia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria.

“May the coming year be even better, despite all the difficulties,” Vucic said, adding that Serbia cannot solve geopolitical problems but has demonstrated that it can handle them, keep its dignity intact, and maintain autonomy and independence. “I wish for us to always have a better year, to preserve peace and stability, and to have more children,” Vucic concluded.