Osmani: Tiran Putin has firmly embedded claws in our region through Serbia

Osmani has said that while the world's eyes are focused on Ukraine “with the right”, another threat is thundering beneath the surface in Europe's heart in the Western Balkans.

Mr. Putin has his claws deeply and firmly embedded in our region through the influence he wields on his representative Serbia, which has intensified efforts to destabilise Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro”.

The Kosovo president has said that Russia's relationship with the most combative and problematic leaders of the Western Balkans”, Serbia's Aleksandar Vucinqiqi and Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik, is not a secret and that is an indication for alarm raises.

The “Nivel of the military and political support Russia offers Serbia, in particular, is important and should raise the alarm from Ankara to London and from Berlin to Washington”.

“Developments in Ukraine are a reminder that we should never be indifferent in the face of autocratia or when our values and allies are threatened. This is not about “ne” and “ata”, this is a reminder for all of us again that a threat to democracy in a territory is a threat to all of us. In this part of the world, peace and stability have been achieved with great sacrifices, including the loss of many innocent lives. We have to do everything to preserve it and that means telling the truth when faced with daily aggression by our neighbour Serbia”.

Osmani, citing Russia's purchase and weapons donations for Serbia, has said that in 2012, before Vuciq came to power, Serbia conducted two military activities with its eastern ally until after nearly a decade of his leadership, the number of these types of activities has increased exponentially.

Serbia's direct rejection of sanctions against Russia as a result is no surprise and reveals where its loyalty really stands. Now is the time to speak clearly where we stand: Kosovo and its partners worldwide side of Ukraine, while Serbia has chosen to side with Mr. Putin”.

“over the past few years, despite speaking of a good game of European values, Serbia has increased its political, military and economic co-operation with Russia to previously-deserved levels, even under Milosevic's regime. Serbia's shift towards autocratia has been gradual and more important, deliberate. For a long time, in which Serbia remained uncontested or even accepted, today Serbia poses a significant threat to stability in Europe. This is already evident in all international indicators of democracy, media and freedoms. Serbia's decline in assessment is evidence of its increasingly autocratic trend”.

Osmani has said that seeing thrilling images of undiscreet and inhuman attacks on innocent Ukrainian civilians, as well as the bold sustainability of those who fight for their lives and defend their citizenship, has been a difficult reminder of a dark past for the people of Kosovo.

For us, these images are very familiar and real. We do not stand alone with Ukraine, we stand with our NATO allies and those who want to see democratic values flourish worldwide, because this represents much more than the war of a country or a people in the face of tyranny”.

Osmani, noting that Kosovo is familiar with the consequences of concessions made at the expense of an innocent people, has said the early softening done to Slobodan Milosevic resulted in numerous bloody wars in the former Yugoslavia that were done by a genocide regime in the name of the fascist <x0-dozens” for Serbia led to hundreds of thousands of deaths, the rape of tens of thousands of women and the expulsion of millions.

All this happened before the eyes of the world. Fortunately, NATO and the world came to our aid in 1999, ending genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed against the people of Kosovo. But today we are witnesses, once again, of a flagrant violation of international law, barbarous and brutal aggression against Ukraine and its innocent people and the potential for a far greater war in Europe and beyond”.

This war is Mr. Putin's way to test the democratic world and it's an attempt to break our democratic spirit. Instead, war has united the democratic world in a way that has not been unpunished for decades. The way we all continue to respond to large and small countries will determine not only the future of Ukraine but the future of Europe and the world. Any answer is not only about the people of Ukraine but also about the world in which we want to live and the collective message we send to the Ottomans throughout”. /