Putin has his claws firmly and firmly embedded in our region

Now, the autism accommodation today only frightens them tomorrow. Concessions against tyrants are never temporary and never bring lasting peace.

The European continent is in crisis because Vdalmir Putin has decided to violate Ukraine's sovereignty to the extent that he denies its territorial integrity and its right to exist. Russia's president pursues a dangerous imperialist policy that allows a state to choose the fate of another state only because it has military power.

This war is Putin's way of testing the democratic world and it's an attempt to break our democratic spirit. Instead, however, war in Ukraine has united the democratic world in an unprecedented way for decades. The way we deal with this situation, whether it's small or large, will determine not only the future of Ukraine but the future of Europe and the world. Any response is not only to the people of Ukraine but also to what world we want to live in and what common message we must send to the authorities everywhere.

The frightening images of inhuman attacks on innocent Ukrainian civilians and the bold stand by those who fight for their lives and defend their country are a grave and difficult reminder of a dark past for the people of Kosovo.

For us, these images are very familiar and refreshing. We do not stand close to Ukraine alone, we stay close to 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.

Kosovo well knows the consequences of concessions made at the expense of an innocent people. The early reaction to Slobodan Milosevic resulted in numerous bloody wars in the former Yugoslavia followed by a genocide regime, all in the name of fascist wishes to create a “Greater Serbia”. Violence led to hundreds of thousands of deaths, the rape of tens of thousands of women, and the deportation of millions.

All this happened in front 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, of barbarous and brutal aggression against Ukraine and its innocent people, and the potential for a much greater war in Europe and beyond.

While the world's eyes have rightly focused on Ukraine, here in the heart of Europe, we have another major threat that thunders underground. Putin has his claws deeply and firmly embedded in our region through the influence he exercises on his satellite, Serbia, which has intensified efforts to destabilise Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro.

Russia's relationship with the most problematic and aggressive leaders of the Western Balkans, with Serbia's Aleksandar Vucinqiqi and Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik, respectively, is not secret. The level of military and political support Russia offers Serbia, in particular, is important and should raise the alarm from Ankara to London and Berlin to Washington.

In 2012, before Vucinqi came to power, Serbia conducted two military exercises with its eastern ally. After nearly a decade of his leadership, the number of these types of activities has increased exponentially. The partnership between the two countries is so essential for both sides, and the purchase and donations of heavy arms so considerable that Moscow has opened a defence office in Belgrade and a so-called <x0-humaniary centre” in Nis for which there are big questions about its alleged mission. No wonder the US Department of Defence has declared that Serbia offers the most suitable “dis to the Russian influence in our region.

Therefore, direct rejection of sanctions against Russia from Serbia is no surprise and reveals where its loyalty really lies. 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 Putin.

In recent years, despite speaking through a mock game about European values, Serbia has increased its political, military and economic co-operation with Russia to unprecedented levels, not even under Milosevic's regime. Serbia's shift towards autocratia has been gradual and more important, deliberate. Long-standing, uncontested and sometimes even accepted, Serbia today poses a significant threat to stability in Europe. This is already evident in all international indicators of democracy, the media and freedoms. The decline in Serbia's assessment is evidence of its increasingly autocratic trend.

Serbia's unjustified actions over the issue of vehicle license plates last year, as much as testify. Unlike agreements signed in Brussels, for nearly a decade Serbia demanded that Kosovo registration plates be removed on the occasion of entry into Serbia and then replaced with temporary. In October, Kosovo, as an equal side in the EU facilitated dialogue, imposed reciprocity. The government in Belgrade rushed to deploy Russian MiG tanks and warplanes to our border, where the Russian ambassador quickly appeared to give his blessing if Serb forces enter Kosovo.

Similarly, when our entire region took part in a NATO military exercise last year ♫ “Defender-Europe 21”, which included partners from across Europe, Serbia was the only country that did not participate and rather held a military exercise with Russia on its territory.

In the face of these developments, Vuciki's continued co-operation remains a serious concern and a risk to peace.

Developments in Ukraine are a reminder that we should never be indifferent to autocratics or when our values and allies are threatened. This is not just about “ne” or “ata”, but this is a reminder to all that a threat to democracy in one country is a threat to all of us.

In our 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 maintain peace, and that means we have to tell the truth even when faced with daily aggression by our neighbour Serbia.

This scripture is published in the “The Economist”, on March 14, 2022.