Increased tensions between Serbia and Kosovo could negatively impact Serbia’s attempts to join the EU by 2025. Sputnik spoke with political commentators Fabian Vendrig and Nikola Mitrovic for more insights into the issue.
Sputnik: Will this event serve to disrupt the Balkans?
Fabian Vendrig: It will not destabilise the region because both governments need each other to maintain their power and these situations occur a couple of times a year. It is tense for a week and then it calms down, this is just power politics.
Sputnik: Would Serbia join the EU and NATO?
Fabian Vendrig: Serbia will not join NATO, the people do not that want that here. The wounds of the bombings conducted by NATO in the 1990’s are still fresh. I think Serbia will join the EU by 2025 but the opinions of the Serbs are mixed, they are caught between the east and the west.
Sputnik: Was Kosovo’s declaration of independence legitimate?
Nikola Mitrovic: It’s totally illegitimate and I think this is why we’ve had these problems. Please bear in mind that Kosovo was invented by NATO and the EU, there is no such thing as the Kosovar language or history, it was invented to bring Serbia to its knees because Serbia would not fall in line with Washington’s plans for Europe, following the breakup of the Soviet Union.
Kosovo is a banana republic, 30% of the population is unemployed, 60% of youth is unemployed, it is serving only due to funding from Washington and the EU. Despite the backing, this is a failed state and demonstrates that NATO nation building is a failure.
The views and opinions expressed by Fabian Vendrig and Nikola Mitrovic are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of Sputnik.