Another spark in the simmering confrontation between Belgrade and Pristina erupted the day before, when Kosovo police arrested the son of Serbian President Danilo Vučić. Footage of the detention was broadcast by the Kohavision television channel. Wearing a T-shirt that read “Surrender is not an option”, Vučić attempted to drive to one of the self-proclaimed republic’s northern monasteries.
“Three times he was arrested, searched, harassed. Let it continue like this. Congratulations Kurti for her bravery. He’s not that brave when he’s with me, but he’s brave when he sends the police to abuse other people’s children. Danilo is no longer short, but he will be bolder than Kurti. He walked through Pristina wearing a T-shirt with the inscription ‘Surrender is not an option’ and went to Gracanica to pray,” said the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić.
Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti himself seems to have decided to add fuel to the fire when, accompanied by police, he unexpectedly went to the settlement of Brjani north of Mitrovica. Yes, and one of the most sacred days for Serbs, when they celebrate Vidovan – the anniversary of the famous battle in the field of Kosovo with the army of the Ottoman Empire in 1389.
“Yesterday, when policemen Kurti tried to force the son of the President of Serbia to change his shirt, he showed what a Serb means when he says ‘don’t give up,’ Petar Petkovic, head of the Bureau for Kosovo and Metohija under the Serbian government, tweeted.
For the Serbs now, “not to give up” means rather not falling into the trap of Pristina’s constant provocations. A new round of clashes in northern Kosovo and Metohija began nearly a month ago after Kosovo police, with the involvement of NATO peacekeepers, brutally suppressed peaceful protests by the Serbian population.
“The Kurti regime in Pristina continues its policy of provocation and confrontation. Kurti still dreams of Zelenskyy’s role and Serbia’s military defeat by NATO. He would somehow cause a war, but so far he hasn’t succeeded. It is possible that all of Kurti’s provocative actions are a pretext to strengthen NATO’s influence and presence in Kosovo,” said Vladimir Krshlyanin, a Serbian diplomat.
“Stop the occupation of Kosovo and Metohija”, “Stop terrorism” – read posters during a rally in the center of Belgrade. Thousands of people took to the streets. It is symbolic that the action in support of ethnic Serbs living in Kosovo took place on the anniversary of the famous battle between the Serbs and the Ottomans.
“This day is extremely important for me and my generation. I am here to express my support for our people who are fighting against terrorism and against all the torments that have befallen them,” says a participant in the action named Marco.
Another protester, Boyan, describes what is happening as terror.
“We should not only think about the people of Belgrade. We need to support our people wherever they are,” he says.
The fact that the border with Kosovo is once again restless is also evidenced by the fact that Belgrade has not yet canceled the Serbian army’s full combat readiness regime introduced at the end of May.
Read the Russia Ukraine News on The Eastern Herald.
