The Kosovo issue has long ago disappeared from European headlines.
For many, it seems like the things in the region have become stable and took the path of political negotiations.
However, there still many significant contradictions in the Serbian region of Kosovo and Metohija that declared independence in 2008.
Most of these contradictions are out of the international law framework.
Moreover, in the years of “independence” Kosovo being supported by western countries has turned into a pus abscess of not only the Balkans, but Europe in general.
Human trafficking and organ trade, drug and arms trafficking are a usual thing here, as well as training of terrorists. ll this is done with the connivance of the EU and U.S.; and it looks like they are quite satisfied with the situation.
The fact that Kosovo remains one of tools of western diplomacy to straight-jacket Serbia was known long ago.
Americans and Europeans do not only turn their blind eye to things going on in Kosovo now, but moreover they do not want to listen to any arguments presented by Serbs to justify their claims for the territory.
The current position in Kosovo (which has been recently recognized by another “major” power in the world, the Republic of Suriname) is extremely unstable; the problems of recent years have not disappeared, they got even worse.
Today, Kosmet has turned into one of major supplier of fighters for terror organizations.
It is a known fact that the self-proclaimed Kosovo has given more members to radical Islamic groups in Middle East comparing proportionally to other countries and even official statistics states the situation is worsening.
For instance, not long ago, Kosovan Interior Minister Skender Hyseni announced that about 70 Kosovo citizens are taking part in military actions in Iraq and Syria fighting for ISIS (the organization is banned in Russia – EADaily).
Meanwhile, the ISIS is continuing recruiting people through mosques, NGOs and training programs mostly financed by the government of Saudi Arabia (there are more than 800 mosques in Kosovo, 240 of them were built after the collapse of Yugoslavia with the Saudi financial assistance).
All this results in the fact that Kosovo is one of key suppliers of ISIS fighters, while terrorists do feel comfortable here.
Moreover, several participants of the recent coup in Turkey reportedly were trained at NATO Bondsteel base, and the most high-ranking Turkish army officer Gen. Adem Huduti was born in Rečane, not far from Prizreni.
All those mentioned does not make Kosovo a successful state, as not political authorities, but terrorists, drug lords, NATO officers and secret services officers are ruling here.
In addition, the regional economic is inoperative, while Kosovans can hardly wait when the EU will grant them a visa-free regime (more than 800,000 Kosovans are already in the EU), it turns out that the EU and U.S. policies of recent years did no good to the territory.
It did neither to the EU which in case it grants a visa-free regime will face inflow of migrants not only from Middle East, but also of extremists from Kosovo and terrorists recruited by ISIS.
Kosovans who are becoming poorer and poorer year by year, trying to find consolation in radical Islam that is finally aimed against western countries as well.
So, the European Union that is trying to make things worse for Serbia and for Russia will cook its own goose.
It is highly probable that Kosovo will soon bear nasty surprises to Europeans.
The matter is if Europe will change its mind after that or will stubbornly continue conniving at the festering wound in its soft underbelly which can contaminate the whole continent.
Russia is not considering recognizing Kosovo any time soon and does not use its relations with other countries as a bargaining chip in its fence-mending talks with the US, the Valdai Club’s program director and a managing partner with the consulting agency Foreign Policy Advisory Group Andrei Sushentsov said in an interview with Sputnik Serbia.
Sushentsov’s statement came in the wake of claims made by Western analysts that Russia could recognize Kosovo in order to reach a deal with the United States.
“Kosovo has nothing to do with the problems existing in Russian-US relations that our countries are going to discuss. I do not see any factors that could change the Kremlin’s position regarding the territorial integrity of Serbia,” Andrei Sushentsov said.
He added that talk of Russia or the US bartering with the recognition of territories makes no sense.
“Russia does not use its relations with any country as a bargaining chip in its fence-mending talks with the United States. Therefore, neither the interests of Serbia, nor those of Russia’s other allies will be compromised, even if relations between Russia and the US start developing,” Sushentsov told Sputnik Serbia.
Experts of the Valdai Club who spoke to Sputnik did not rule out the possibility that the United States could make a “Crimea for Kosovo” offer, but were confident that Moscow will not agree to it under any circumstances, at least while Vladimir Putin is in power.
“Even if the US puts forward such a proposal, Russia will certainly turn it down and will not engage in any kind of bartering. Moscow does not need Washington’s support in order for Crimea to be Russian. Crimea rejoined Russia in a referendum, despite US and EU opposition. We were fully aware of the consequences and were ready for them,” Igor Pshenichnikov, advisor to the director of the Russian Institute for Strategic Research, told Sputnik.
He added that by recognizing Kosovo Russia would betray its main ally in the Balkans and send a clear signal to all the separatist-minded forces in Serbia.
Crimea voluntarily rejoined Russia in a 2014 referendum while Kosovo unilaterally broke away from Serbia with US and EU support. Even though Barack Obama said in 2014 that Kosovo seceded from Serbia following a region-wide referendum, no such plebiscite really happened and the opinion of the local Serb and other ethnic minorities were completely ignored.
Meanwhile, the European Parliament on Thursday ratified an association agreement with the self-proclaimed republic of Kosovo, taking the first step for the republic’s integration into the European Union.
The European Union signed an agreement on stabilization and association with Kosovo on October 27, 2015. Kosovo has already ratified the agreement.
In an interview with Sputnik Serbia, Irina Rudneva, a senior expert with the Center for the Study of Modern Balkan Crisis at the Institute of Slavic Studies in Moscow, said that not all countries, including those in the EU, have recognized Kosovo as an independent state.
“Kosovo is not a full-fledged state – its economy is stagnating and there are lots of political divisions too. Kosovo could become a tinderbox inside the EU and play a very bad role for Europe,” Rudneva warned.
“What Europe is now doing means that, acting on US advice, it is trying to prevent Kosovo’s reunification with Serbia. The US wants to destabilize Europe and [the Balkan] region by setting up military bases there and sending in arms and money. To keep the region under control, [the Americans] are now integrating it into the European Union,” Rudneva said.
