Vjosa Osmani, who has been president of Kosovo since 2021, also said that the future of the region lies in the European Union.
“Russia and Putin want to open a new front against the West by destabilizing the Western Balkans,” she told TVP World.
“And for that reason, it is crucial that Kosovo is working hand in hand with allies, with partners from the democratic world, to make sure that we stop these destabilization initiatives from Serbia, aided and abetted by Russia.”
Her comments reflect concerns that Russia might try to exploit its strong economic, cultural and historical ties with Serbia to exert influence in a region that is still in a state of flux.
“I believe there is hope for a Western Balkans that ultimately joins the European Union and NATO,” she continued.
“But the precondition to achieving such results is treating Serbia for what it is [...] a satellite state of Russia, which is only increasing military, economic and political cooperation with Russia,” she said.
Osmani also attributed tensions between Serbia and Kosovo to Belgrade’s policies towards the republic, which was once a part of Serbia until it declared unilateral independence in 2008.
“It’s not like both Kosovo and Serbia are contributing to tensions,” she said in the interview.
“There’s one country that is Serbia that has turned itself into Putin’s strongest proxy country in Europe. And then there's Kosovo and other countries in the region that are constantly victims of acts of aggression by Serbia.”
