Vujinovic: European leaders will force Pristina to stop the violence against Serbs

The security of Europe also implies that the situation in the Western Balkans must remain peaceful, and the frequent accusations and claims by representatives of official Pristina that Serbia is the one endangering security in this part of Europe are merely a case of reversing the truth, security studies researcher Nikola Vujinovic tells Kosovo Online.

He emphasizes that this narrative is being used by Kosovo’s President Vjosa Osmani and acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti in order to justify their treatment of the Serbian community in Kosovo, whose political and human rights are being violated.

“They claim that Serbs deserve such treatment, that they deserve it because of the sins from the past. Meanwhile, before the European Union, we have a sin of the present, which is our current behavior in international relations, namely, our refusal to impose sanctions on Russia and our desire to maintain a neutral position,” Vujinovic explains.

He points out that, besides Kurti and Osmani, the same narrative is also used by various leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and elsewhere in the region.

“It is a classic case of ‘the thief crying stop thief’, trying to shift the blame and present what is happening now as someone else’s fault or as guilt that is yet to come,” he says.

When asked whether the security of the Western Balkans is truly endangered, or could become so in the future, Vujinovic replies:

“I don’t think there is any reason for fear. The essence is that we can see the Middle East is gradually calming down, which will inevitably lead to a de-escalation on the Ukrainian front, something that suits Europe. This means Europe will be preoccupied with other issues rather than focusing on the Western Balkans. My belief is that European leaders will compel, if I may use that word, the Kosovo Albanians to stop the violence they are committing, that they will rein in Mr. Schmidt in Bosnia and Herzegovina, who is committing abuses there, and that they will encourage them to treat the Serbian community properly. In doing so, we will avoid any escalation of security or insecurity. What must be emphasized is that Serbia is the key actor here, and as long as Serbia remains patient and avoids further escalation, we will not face any serious crisis,” Vujinovic concludes.