Serbia is a country that constantly tries to play the role of “big brother” in the Western Balkans, even if it creates problems with its neighbor countries, or even interfering in the internal affairs of countries that are well oriented on their way to joining the European Union, Serbia tends to undermine their efforts.
As an initiator of the wars in the Balkans, Serbia does not intend deal with its past and move towards a European and despite not winning wars, it is attempting Balkans domination in post-war. Serbia constantly plays subversive politics in Bosnia and Kosovo by controlling parts of population and misusing them to political gain in Serbia but also to disrupt political situations in the countries. On one hand, a strong relationship with Russia and on the other hand playing the role of stubbornness with the European Union.
Serbia’s problems with Kosovo after the conflict of the 1990s did not end with military conflict ending after 78 day bombing from NATO which ended Serbian domination of Kosovo. Serbia’s agenda against Kosovo continues by all means but diplomatically most openly. Trying to undermine Kosovo’s independence declared in 2008 and statehood, state building efforts as well as all other actions taken by Kosovar governments. The act of declaring Kosovo’s independence was challenged and sent to the International Court of Justice, which received a negative answer to Serbia by claiming that Independence of Kosovo was not violating International Law. The lobbying in the UN Security Council, General Assembly of the EU and other international institutions such as Interpol, Europol, and UNESCO not to accept Kosovo´s membership continues too nowadays.
Serbia, is the main ally of Russia and China in the Western Balkans. The Serbian army is based mainly on the technology of the former Soviet Union and it continues to show military strength in the region with Russian aircraft and Chinese drones. And by politically attacking all countries that have been in favor of Kosovo’s independence and that maintain good diplomatic ties with the latter. Serbia has been also asked formally by the United States to commit not using untrusted 5G vendors in the Agreement with Kosovo signed at the White House. Serbia had started using Huawei Chinese technology and surveillance cameras in Belgrade already in 2017.
Kosovo´s response to Serbia is by progressing along with its allies. The Kosovo Security Force, lined up next to the US Army, traveled yesterday to its first peacekeeping mission in Kuwait under the umbrella of Iowa National Guard, a sister army that help build Kosovo Security Force. This mission days ago was ratified in the parliament of Kosovo and marks a pivotal moment in the history of Kosovo where the engagement of KSF troops are engaged in a military operation of peacekeeping outside the territory of Kosovo. Prior to this, Kosovo Security Force has taken part in trainings and rescue missions abroad.
The Kosovo Security Force, based on a law adopted by the Kosovo Assembly, is a small and tactical defense force that is primarily designed for seek and rescue along with civilian protection missions. But Kosovo is stepping its game in collaboration with its allies. The mission of KSF was changed recently, but the name remained the same in absence of votes from the minorities (mainly Serbian minority with reserved seats) at the Kosovo Assembly.
Immediately after the adoption of the law on the KSF in the Kosovo Assembly, a campaign was launched by the Serbian authorities urging members of the Serb community to leave the Kosovo Security Force. Some were even threatened, a family in Gracanica was expelled from work and other dismissive actions followed for member of Serbian community working with KSF. The Serb members of the KSF experienced blackmail from Belgrade but also from their Serb neighbors in Kosovo. This resulted in their arrests when crossing the borders between Kosovo and Serbia.
Pressures to destabilize the region by Serbia continues also with the non-implementation of technical and political agreements by Serbia, the Brussels Agreements. This is resulting in a slow and incremental progress of good neighborhood policy between Kosovo and Serbia. Serbia continues to block Kosovo in its efforts towards Euro-Atlantic integration, by which, it keeps itself away from European path too. The ten years of dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo, celebrated by the EU in a tweet, is merely a representation of failure and not successful dialogue. By inability to make Serbia accept new realities, EU is fueling Serbia´s influence and disruptive politics in the Western Balkans.
Such an intervention was recently made by Serbia with North Macedonia, who is trying to resolve the dispute with Bulgaria. Serbia´s Parliament Speaker, Dacic recently made statements attacking the Prime Minister of Northern Macedonia, Zoran Zaev, accusing him of distorting the history regarding Bulgaria because North Macedonia needs Sofia’s consent to start EU membership negotiations. Prime Minister Zaev’s pro-Bulgarian approach would close the dispute between Bulgaria and northern Macedonia and pave the way for the latter to become a member of the European Union. As a result, a part of the Western Balkans, in addition to other benefits, would offer to improve regional cooperation and would not be a “ticking bomb”, but would become a Western-European Balkans. Serbian Parliament Speaker Ivica Dacic has attacked Bulgaria and Macedonia, which have recently reached an agreement to close their differences. Serbia has been a country that has often influenced the political problems of Macedonia, where there is also a small national minority. Bulgaria, a country that recognized Kosovo’s independence in 2008. Sofia has always its differences with Belgrade.
A calm and well-integrated Balkans in the European Union does not seem to suit Serbia alone because of its strong ties with Russia and China and the latter two, have interest in disrupting political progress in the Western Balkans and with that, also sustainability and expansion of the EU. If such policies of Serbia are not restrained by the European Union and other international mechanisms, then Russo-sphere will thrive and expand not only in Western Balkans but beyond that too.
