Security expert Stradner warns second “” of escalation in Kosovo

Ivana Stradner, a security and information specialist, also observer of political developments in the Western Balkans, praised in an interview for the Bosnian newspaper “Slobodna Bosna” Wednesday that Russia will continue efforts to destabilise region and challenge NATO, even during 2024, specifically in Kosovo and Northern Macedonia.

Stradner, the councillor at the Foundation for the Protection of Democracy (FDD), cited the violent attack of Serb protesters at the end of May last year at Zvecan Serb-run municipality in the northern part of Kosovo, on NATO Force troops (KFOR), but also on the terrorist attack of Serb paramilitary in the village of Baj in September the same year.

“We saw last year when 90 KFOR members were injured in clashes in northern Kosovo. What did NATO do? Nothing. A few months later, Banja” happened, Stradner added, warning that a second “traund” of escalation could happen this year from pro-Russian structures in northern Macedonia that will complicate things for Kosovo and NATO.

The “in 2023 was the first round of escalation, now we can wait for the second round. Last year, Russian media held a strong deinformation campaign ahead of the Banja attack that the West would open a second front. They always do this before the situation escalates. The Narrativa coming from Moscow is almost identical to that of 2023.

Many observers claim that the prospect of slipping towards the edge of the crisis cannot be isolated; until favourable conditions are created for local Serb players associated with Russian interests to expand the threatening shadow and provoke regional conflicts under Russia's silent backing, the risk of escalating violence now remains hanging over the entire Western Balkans. /Albanian Post