PM of Kosovo: Russia's victory in Ukraine will threaten peace in Balkans
Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti said on Thursday that if Russia wins in Ukraine and encourages Serbian expansion, peace in the Balkan region will be threatened.
According to Ukrinform, the Kosovo leader said this in an interview with the Associated Press.
Kurti believes that it is important for the West to unite in support of Ukraine, which is defending itself against Russian aggression. He emphasized that a stronger Russia would lead to a stronger Serbia, adding that in that case, not only Kosovo, but also Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and “possibly North Macedonia” would be threatened by what he called Serbia's expansionist ambitions.
Asked what a Russian victory in Ukraine would mean for Kosovo and the Balkans more broadly, Kurti said that “because Serbia is a regional hegemon and a Russian puppet, these 25 years of peace, freedom and democracy in the Balkans, unprecedented in our history, are once again under threat.”
Kosovo's Prime Minister noted that the despotic Russian leader Vladimir Putin will be encouraged to continue his destabilization attempts if Russia wins in Ukraine.
“I really don’t want to believe that he can theoretically win. But him thinking that (he) can win is problematic enough,” Kurti said.
As Ukrinform reported, on September 2, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the Western Balkans countries had chosen the European path of development, but they, like the EU countries, would have to show resilience and the ability to make difficult decisions, as the Kremlin authorities continue to sow discord in the region to stir up old wounds and disrupt the process of regional integration.
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