FAZ: Why Belgrade's horror stories in relation to Kosovo are just propaganda

The Serbian leader claims that Kosovo has “ethnic cleansing” against Serbs. A UN report presents a completely different view. The EU is silent about this.

That's how renowned journalist started his text. Frankfurt Allgemine Michael Martens, titled “Why the horror stories of Belgrade are merely propaganda”.

He says that if he is entrusted to the president of Serbia, the Serb minority in Kosovo undergo cruel and systematic discrimination.

According to Martens, in July, Aleksandar Vuciq spoke of “tortures and serious persecution”, “pogromet” and “ethnic cleansing” suffered by Serbian population in the state Serbia does not recognise

It had earlier named Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti “terrorist scum””.

Martens has also highlighted the close link Vuciq has with Russia and the directive reports he receives from Putin's state even when Kosovo is in question.

After a meeting with the Russian ambassador to Belgrade in September, Serbia's president said he had informed Putin's envoy of “the brutal ethnic cleansing” in Kosovo that was being organised “by Albin Kurti with the support of the international community”.

Addressing the UN General Assembly, he confirmed that “extreme regime” in Pristina is developing a “terror framework” against Serbs. The same is said for years by Vuciqi Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic, his Prime Minister Anna Brnabiq and the part of Serbian media that cheers him up. Because of all “ethnic cleansing”, there should in fact be no Serbs in Kosovo.

Another Serb pressure on Serbs mentioned here was that of not joining the Kosovo Police. Also testified, against which the US Embassy had reacted.

Although the article says that “conditions (for Serbs) are not ideal”, it goes on to say that the mention of “ethnic cleansing” constitutes “recomering gross” on the part of Belgrade.

Some analysts have seen Belgrade's language towards Kosovo as dangerous and combative over recent months