Destabilization of the region is a phrase that can often be heard in the Western Balkans region ever since the war in Ukraine broke out. Pristina has frequently and repeatedly accused Belgrade of destabilizing the region, particularly since Serbia purchased the Chinese FC-3 system. On Sunday, however, similar accusations against Pristina arrived from Belgrade, after the Serbian media reported that Pristina obtained rockets from Great Britain.
Belgrade-based daily Vecernje Novosti reported on Saturday that Great Britain delivered Javelin and NLAW rockets to the Pristina authorities – the same rockets used by Ukrainian forces in the fight against Russian troops.
The Belgrade media outlets also reported that free training of KSF members to use these military tools had been organized.
Pristina-based portal Gazeta Express wrote on Saturday that the “suspicions” expressed in Serbian media were not confirmed by the British and Pristina authorities.
During a Sunday guest appearance on Prva TV, the Serbian Prime Minister, Ana Brnabic, stressed that her Kosovan counterpart, Albin Kurti, shows concern over the armament of Serbia, despite the fact that some other countries are providing weapons and equipment to Pristina.
According to Brnabic, the armament of Pristina has an extremely destabilizing effect on the entire region of the Western Balkans.
„It’s terrible, it sends all the wrong messages and I’m worried,“ she said.
The Serbian PM expressed concern over „the amount of support Kurti received in denying Kosovo Serbs their basic rights – the right to vote – in the referendum, and then in the elections.“
The Serbian Minister of the Interior, Aleksandar Vulin, also reacted yesterday, alleging that shipping weapons to Kosovo is an „enemy act“:
„You cannot arm terrorists and hope for peace, I am very worried,“ the minister said.
Vulin underlined that Kosovo has no army and that, according to UN SC Resolution 1244, the only armed force in Kosovo are KFOR, N1 Sarajevo reported.
„It’s clear, you’re forming an army, you are arming them, giving them armored vehicles, anti-armor systems, drones, training, I hear that some of them are attending pilot training in Turkey, Albania,“ Vulin told Pink TV.
In his words, the philosophy of Albin Kurti is „to do harm to Serbia and Serbs“.
„We listened to Kurti when he said that Kosovo should become part of NATO. The procedures for joining NATO are worse [more difficult] than joining the EU, so there is no chance that they will fulfill and satisfy them, neither in the short term, nor in the medium term, nor in the long term,“ Vulin pointed out.
On the same day, the Chief of Staff to the President of the Republic of Kosovo, Blerim Vela, reacted to the accusations of top Belgrade officials.
„Serbia’s regime jesters Brnabić, Stefanović, and Vulin are in competition who’ll make the stupidest statement just so that they are noticed by Vucic and ensure a place in the new government,“ Vela tweeted.
On the other hand, he highlighted that Kosovo is and will remain independent.
„Your warmongering rhetoric will fail and you’ll back down,“ Vela said.
Previously, Pristina harshly criticized official Belgrade for procuring Chinese weapons – the FC-3 system – which recently arrived in Serbia.
Ever since the war broke out in Ukraine, Pristina officials have accused Serbia of wanting to destabilize the region as a „Russian ally,“ while also alerting of possible new war conflicts.
On the other hand, Belgrade officials say they are committed to preserving peace, and that the Chinese system is actually a defense weapon, that is, an anti-aircraft weapon.
In addition to the President of Serbia, this was also confirmed by retired Serb general, Sreto Malinovic, on the “360 stepeni” TV show. He revealed that a loan was made in 2019 and the first tranche for the purchase of these weapons was disbursed. According to Malinovic, its delayed delivery “has nothing to do with what is happening in Ukraine.“
While Pristina officials keep accusing Serbia of purchasing weapons, they themselves also claim that the KSF is doing the same.
Kosovo has allocated the largest budget to the KSF this year – in the amount of €100 million.
„Our army is supplied and possesses modern weapons and equipment. Our country is safe thanks to our military and our tools, led by the United States. Investing in the army is our obligation that we will fulfill at any cost. Strengthening and equipping our army is the main guarantor of security and stability in the country and the region,“ the Kosovo Defense Minister Armen Mehaj wrote in a Facebook post on Saturday.
Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Pristina has increasingly spoken about accelerating the KSF transformation process as well as additional investments, which was also defined in the resolution by which Pristina condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
„The Assembly of Kosovo asks the Government of Kosovo, in consultation with the NATO Mission in Kosovo, to consider and shorten the deadlines set by the ten-year plan for 2018 to transform the KSF into a regular army, including providing the necessary financial support,“ reads item no.10 of this resolution.
The President of the Assembly of Kosovo, Glauk Konjufca, said in early March that the level of the KSF should be raised with artillery weapons, because „the possibility of Serb aggression in the territory of Kosovo should never be ruled out.“
This year, Kosovo also established the KSF Development Fund, calling on the citizens of Kosovo and diaspora to contribute.
At that time, several Kosovo politicians and companies announced that they will give up their salaries or set aside money from their savings accounts for the fund.
Although they often talk about equipping the KSF with new weapons, Pristina officials rarely reveal to the public what equipment is being procured and from whom.
The media, on the other hand, wrote in the middle of last year that an agreement had been concluded with Turkey on the purchase of 14 armored military vehicles.
Radio Free Europe wrote in July 2021 that the KSF, in addition to Turkey, procured various military equipment from the United States, Germany, Great Britain, and other NATO countries as well, and that another 50 armored Humvee vehicles would soon arrive – a donation from the United States.
On the other hand, the Kosovo Ministry of Defense confirmed in January that it procured four UAS from the United States, which will be used by the KSF.
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