Rubin: Change of State Borders Convenes Vladimir Putin Only

In a brief interview for KALLXO.com, Rubin said Russia has been strengthened since it was part of American diplomacy in 1997-2000.

Rubin has been deputy to former US State Secretary Madeleine Albright, in Bill Clinton's second presidential term and has held the duty of State Department spokesman in the 1998-1999 crisis period in Kosovo, becoming a familiar figure for Kosovo Albanians.

Nearly two decades later, Rubin thinks the war in Kosovo ended “well” compared to other wars after a peace agreement reached in June 1999 enabled the return of Kosovo Albanian refugees to their homes.

This has been the fastest ever return of refugees to world history. More than 1 million people returned within weeks. It was incredible. The massacre in Kosovo was prevented, he said.

We had a war plan, we had the world on our side, and bad people went to jail and faced justice”, he recalls.

Now when Kosovo has entered its 20th year of liberation, Kosovo President Hashim Thaci is insisting on the idea of correcting borders between Kosovo and Serbia while seeking recognition of Kosovo by Serbia, coupled with Kosovo's UN membership.

But in Ruby's eyes, the latter is unlikely to happen because of Russia's objections to the Security Council, where it holds the permanent member chair, with veto rights.

We had the best possible <x0-5s in 1999. Every year they've gotten worse. Clearly, the Russians don't want independent Kosovo because they think it's bad for them: what's good for America they consider bad for them, and even though Russia has no national interest in Kosovo, they block it only for the anger of America”, Rubin says.

When asked whether he believes Russia will recognise Kosovo and can allow seat in the UN if Serbia recognises Kosovo, he said: “I would never trust the Russians. Never. The only way I could trust you, and that doesn't mean I would ever believe you, is if I had all the guarantees that Russia would recognise Kosovo's independence. But I wouldn't do anything based on mere speculation. It will be difficult to reject Kosovo if Serbia accepts it, but I don't know if they will accept it. In other words, before even thinking about this issue, I would have to make sure that the Russians accept the availability of independent Kosovo from Serbia”, Ruby said.

In the opinion of the former American diplomat, Serbia is now seeking to find a solution for Kosovo because it is blind.

Now we have the Serbian leadership thinking: we're blocked, we're not likely to move our country forward until we solve this (Kosovo problem), so let's come up with a plan that seems logical, try it: there are many more Serb countries than Albanians and other countries with more Albanians than Serbs and see if any changes can occur (in the border). I understand they might have started from this point of view. ”

But if the Kosovo government asked me about this or the authorities in Pristina, that would be a very difficult question. I don't know what I'd say! It's like I'm asked to choose between being principled or being pragmatic. I understand this as a question that we have to be pragmatic and see if we can end this mess, this Putin obsession with the (UN) of Kosovo. Why does Putin have to worry about Kosovo, I don't know that, because it's not Russian national interest. The only reason they care is because they want to humiliate America, I don't see any interest (other)”, he says.

But according to Rubin, one thing is clear, changing the borders of states is an idea that only Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, constantly promoted by the Ukrainian Crimean province.

We've pushed the idea that the borders in Europe cannot be changed, they're defined and we don't want to let politics, war and threats change borders. Meanwhile, Putin is doing this every day in Ukraine, Crime, every day he is destroying this principle with war. Every day. That's what Putin has done, the destruction of the principles we've been fighting for (and which have been worth so far)”, Ruby said.