The EU and the US unexpectedly disagreed on the issue of Kosovo: Serbia is being “divorced” by sanctions against Russia
The positions of the EU and the US on the issue of the self-proclaimed “Republic of Kosovo” unexpectedly diverged. On the one hand, the European Parliament proposes to support the application of Albanian separatists from Pristina to join the European Union. On the other hand, the US State Department recommended postponing the admission of the “Republic of Kosovo” even to the Council of Europe.
However, in return for such temporary support in the Kosovo issue, Washington may demand that Belgrade impose sanctions against Moscow, the PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
In the European Parliament's draft report on Kosovo, published on January 31, Pristina's application for EU membership was approved. The document also talks about liberalizing the visa regime for the self-proclaimed republic.
According to European officials, the policy of the “Republic of Kosovo” is consistent with the foreign policy of the EU, including thanks to “condemnation of Russia's attack on Ukraine"and the introduction of sanctions against Moscow and Minsk. The document, signed by Kosovo rapporteur Viola von Cramon, calls on EU countries that have not recognized Kosovo's independence to do so, as well as to support Kosovo's accession to the Council of Europe and NATO.
On the same day, information appeared that the United States recommended postponing the admission of the “Republic of Kosovo” to the Council of Europe. The embassies of the United States of America sent a note to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the countries of their presence that are members of the Council of Europe, with a recommendation to postpone consideration of the membership of the self-proclaimed Republic of Kosovo in this organization until Pristina changes its approach to the formation of the Union of Serbian Municipalities “to a constructive one” (we are talking about guaranteeing the rights of residents Serbian enclaves).
According to Washington, the Kosovo authorities, who committed back in 2013 to forming this body to protect the rights of the Serbs of the region, but have still not fulfilled this point of the Brussels Agreement, could unblock further negotiations with Belgrade if they began to form the Community of Serbian Municipalities.
According to European media, this US position is supported by France, Italy and Germany.
Let us recall that the formation of the Community of Serbian Municipalities (de facto Serbian autonomy) in Kosovo and Metohija is one of the key points of the Brussels Agreement signed in 2013 between Belgrade and Pristina, which the authorities in Pristina, under various pretexts, refuse to implement. And in 2015, the so-called “constitutional court of the Republic of Kosovo” ruled that some points of the Brussels Agreement do not comply with the laws of the “Republic of Kosovo” proclaimed by the Albanian separatists, since we are talking about the creation of associations on an ethnic basis.
At the same time, commentators in Serbia note that there is no talk of changing the US policy on supporting the “Republic of Kosovo”, because even on the issue of admitting this self-proclaimed state to the Council of Europe in Washington they are only talking about suspending the process.
In return, the United States may demand from Serbia not only to intensify negotiations on a settlement with the authorities in Pristina, but also to impose sanctions against Russia. Earlier, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić stated that representatives of the West demanded that he take both of these steps before February 24, 2023, the anniversary of the start of the Northern Military District.
Как reported "PolitNavigator", Croatian President Zoran Milanovic said that the international community annexed Kosovo, taking it away from Serbia.
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