The war in Ukraine contributed to new developments in the political scene of the Western Balkans. Serbia remained the only country not to impose sanctions on Russia – as Pristina has been reminding the European Union daily, while also alleging that Vucic „does not share the values of the EU and the USA“. Ever since the war in Ukraine broke out – a country with whose leadership and people Pristina alleges to sympathize and compare itself with – Pristina officials have been sending the same messages – „Serbia is a Russian ally“, „Serbia is following Putin“, „Kosovo is endangered“. Warnings of the „Serbian hegemony“ are getting louder with each day. Thanks to a recent diplomatic campaign involving the domestic and international political scene, even social networks, Pristina’s demands have been brought to the fore: Kosovo to join NATO and be recognized by five European countries that have not yet done so.
„Kosovo in NATO“
‘Kosovo should urgently join NATO’ has now even become the campaign slogan.
Following the initial outcry of the opposition, authorities, analysts, and „security experts“ in Kosovo since the first day of Russia’s offensive on Ukraine, it has now been confirmed that this is an official campaign.
On Monday evening, an illustrated photo appeared on social networks with the messages „Kosovo in NATO“ and „It’s time for us“.
The photo was shared on the official Twitter account of the Kosovo Olympic Committee. The very next morning, Kosovo Defense Minister Armend Mehaj, shared the same photo, while urging Kosovo citizens, Albanians in the diaspora, and „international friends“ to call for Kosovo’s NATO membership via social networks.
In the previous days, several Pristina politicians, including LDK leader Lumir Abdixhiku, AKR President, Behgjet Pacolli, AAK President Ramush Haradinaj, as well as Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani and Prime Minister Albin Kurti, have emphasized that this is the right moment for Kosovo to join NATO and that the process should be fast-tracked.
Many of them continue to highlight „the suffering and righteousness of Ukrainians“, „propaganda and evil of Russia and Serbia“ and „the threat to Kosovo“ as the reason why international partners should finally meet their demands.
Osmani was one of the first to accuse Belgrade of „destabilizing the region“, but also alert of possible military actions by Serbia. The Kosovan president sent a warning to Belgrade that in that case, it would face the Kosovo Police, the KSF, and NATO.
Vjosa Osmani is also known for frequently uttering the phrase „Serbian hegemony“, but also in her regular use of the word – „genocide“ when talking about Serbia.
Osmani sent the same accusations from Turkey yesterday, where she traveled to urge the Turkish president to help Kosovo become a member of NATO – to which he agreed.
„Turkey did not need permission to recognize Kosovo, and it was the second country to do so. We will also support Kosovo’s entry into NATO,“ Recep Tayyip Erdogan said from Ankara yesterday.
Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti also joined the campaign.
In an interview with the British „SkyNews“, he also urged European countries to help Kosovo to join NATO and the EU.
According to Kurti, this would contribute to peace, stability and security. On the other hand, he also criticized Serbia for being the only one, apart from Belarus, that did not impose sanctions on Russia.
„The Balkans is not immune to the effects of the situation in Ukraine, because in the Balkans we have a state that has not imposed sanctions on Russia,“ he said, stating that Serbia received a large part of its weapons from Russia.
As a result, Kurti adds, Kosovo is worried that Putin will try to „wage war“ in the Western Balkans in order to „turn it into a battlefield with Western democracies.“
Campaign to boycott Serb products – „do not strengthen the military machinery that threatens us with extinction“
In addition to the campaign for Kosovo’s membership in NATO, another campaign to boycott Serbian products was also recently launched. The campaign was initiated by the MP of Self-Determination, Artan Abrashi.
With the message „boycott Serbian products, love your own“, he said that „in these sensitive times“, people in Kosovo should focus on buying local products.
„Let’s strengthen our economy, or at least avoid those products that finance the economy that feeds the military machinery that threatens us with extinction on a daily basis.“
„Recognize us“ and „accept Kosovo into the EU“
The war in Ukraine also intensified another demand of Pristina officials. Apart from seeking NATO membership, there are more and more calls for Kosovo to be recognized by those EU member states that have not done so and for Kosovo to become an EU member.
The Kosovan Defense Minister also started a campaign through social networks for Kosovo’s accession to NATO. Through a post on Facebook, he called all citizens of Kosovo, compatriots and friends wherever they are, to post #KosovoInNATO and #KosovoInEU on their profiles.
He also called on „fellow citizens and friends“ to contact their Spanish, Greek, Romanian, Slovak and Cypriot friends, i.e. citizens of five EU countries that did not recognize Kosovo so that they can „hear the truth“ about it.
In addition to calling for Kosovo’s EU membership, Pristina argued that the organization should reconsider Serbia’s accession.
„The president of the Serbian Parliament is telling an awkward truth in saying Serbia and Russia are one,“ said the head of the Kosovo president’s cabinet, Blerim Vela, while sharing president of the National Assembly of Serbia, Ivica Dacic’s statement that anyone who wants Serbia to impose sanctions on Russia is not against Russia, but against Serbia.
Vela estimates that „the Russian Trojan horse cannot be admitted to the EU“.
German MPs call for Kosovo’s membership in the Council of Europe and recognition, Milanovic – to receive EU candidate status
The campaigns of Kosovo’s institutions have found support from some European leaders and political representatives.
MEP Lukas Mandl said today that it is time for the five EU members that did not recognize Kosovo to do so.
He sent a letter to the leaders of these countries, in which he wrote that, despite the unity of the EU on the introduction of sanctions against Russia, what is lacking is the consensus on the recognition of Kosovo.
„Kosovo is lagging behind in development in the region because of the Serb state, and in the world because of the Russian state. It is clear that the Russian leadership has been aiming to divide Europe, states, institutions and society for many years,“ Mandl wrote in a letter he sent to the leaders of Greece, Spain, Slovakia, Romania and Cyprus, other European leaders and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Pristina-based Koha reports.
A member of the German Bundestag, Knut Abraham, said yesterday that Kosovo’s membership in the Council of Europe would now be the right step, Pristina media report.He called on the German government to engage in this issue, adding that after the exclusion of Russia from the Council, it is the right time for Kosovo to become a member.
Croatian President Zoran Milanovic also presented his proposal yesterday – that Kosovo should get the status of an EU membership candidate. Milanovic claims that everything should be done in order to prevent the spread of the crisis to the Western Balkans, and that Croatia wants the countries of Southeast Europe, which have declared and proved their intention and readiness to join the EU, to become members of the European Union as soon as possible.
Two parties, two resolutions, and the same demands
The demands of Pristina officials for NATO and EU membership could soon be formalized, if the majority of members of the Kosovo Parliament vote in favor of it.
The two parties with the highest support in Kosovo – Self-Determination and LDK, announced sessions this week to discuss their resolutions, which have a common denominator – a request for recognition of five EU members and Kosovo’s NATO membership.
The discussion was announced as early as Thursday by the head of the Self-Determination parliamentary group, Mimoza Kusari Lila.
The resolution is planned to „show that Russian intervention in Ukraine is not the same as NATO intervention in Kosovo,“ claims Lila.
She added that it will be sent to EU members that did not recognize Kosovo, and that the resolution will ask them for recognition and support for Kosovo’s membership in NATO.
LDK proposes resolution: NATO and EU membership, recognition of Kosovo, acceleration of KSF transformation
The LDK also announced a parliamentary debate on a resolution of the same type on Thursday, stating that the draft had already been submitted to the presidency of the assembly.
As this party announced yesterday, the resolution would condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the „endangerment of global security“.
The resolution states that Russia’s attack on Ukraine was unprovoked and contrary to international conventions, and emphasizes that Kosovo joins the West and supports Ukraine.
In that sense, after the adoption of the resolution, the Assembly would ask the Kosovo government to take all necessary measures to impose the same sanctions on Russia that were imposed by the countries of the „Western allies“.
The resolution also calls for an assembly request to the government – to take all actions aimed at submitting a request for Kosovo’s membership in NATO and the EU. The same resolution calls on those EU countries that have not yet recognized Kosovo to do so.
The government is also asked to, in consultation with NATO, shorten the deadlines set by the ten-year plan for the transformation of the KSF.
KSF fund established; „Serbia, along with Putin, a serious threat to security in Kosovo“
Meanwhile, the Kosovo government is trying to raise money to strengthen the Kosovo Security Force by establishing a Security Fund, the Kosovo prime minister said, after consulting with international partners.
The monies from this fund will be used in accordance with the „state security strategy“ that is yet to be approved by the Kosovo government.
After the fund was established, the citizens of Kosovo and abroad were asked to contribute. In just a few hours several Kosovo politicians announced that they gave up their February salaries or set aside money from their savings accounts, while some companies announced that they would also contribute to the fund.
The establishment of this fund was previously requested by the former Prime Minister of Kosovo, Ramush Haradinaj, who said that „Serbia’s clear position alongside Putin and Russia is a serious threat to security in the Balkans – especially in Kosovo.”
Last week, AKR leader Behgjet Pacolli also spoke about the fund, saying that Kosovo would then have a „strong army“ and calling on everyone to help.
He also described Serbia as a Russian ally which „represents a risk“ for Kosovo. According to Pacolli, Kosovo should join the security organizations as soon as possible, primarily NATO.
NATO troops, through the KFOR mission, have been deployed in Kosovo for 23 years. Their numbers have declined over the years, as expected, in line with what Kosovo officials have claimed over the decades: “Kosovo is independent and international forces and missions should leave.”
„They put us on a shelf labeled ‘crisis.’ We are constantly compared to Afghanistan, Palestine, and Bosnia. They are not saying that we have come out of the war and that we need to make progress – but that they have come out and how to prevent this from happening again,“ Kurti complained to a BBC journalist on the fifth anniversary of Kosovo’s unilaterally declared independence.
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