Russia set its sights on Balkans: Kosovo’s president

ANTALYA

Kosovo’s President Vjosa Osmani said Friday that “Russia has set its sights on the Balkans.”

Osmani told Anadolu on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum that Kosovo is trying to maintain peace and stability, together with its stakeholders.

"Russia has its sights set on the Balkans and wants to open a new front against the West," she said.

Noting that the outcome of the Russia-Ukraine war will set an example for the world, she said Kosovo supports "the peace that Ukraine wants" and a world order based on the rule of law.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is only concerned about himself, in Moscow’s aggression against Ukraine, said Osmani.

"I think dictators don't think about their own people. (Former Yugoslavia President Slobodan) Milosevic also lost hundreds of thousands of his soldiers, but he was looking out for himself. Putin also only looks out for himself, not his hundreds of thousands of soldiers,” she said.

Osmani, who supports the imposition of sanctions on Russia, stated that there is a very unlawful war in Ukraine.

She noted that even a war in a distant country affects the whole world economically, and said the Russia-Ukraine war as an example.

Drawing attention to the importance of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Osmani said it shows that diplomacy can focus not only on security but also on the economy.

Diplomacy’s crucial role

Osmani pointed out that it is very difficult to choose peace in times of war and noted her country advocates peace talks to end the Kosovo War as soon as possible.

Emphasizing the importance of the support of friendly countries in turbulent times, the president stated that Kosovo attaches importance in establishing partnerships with countries and blocs such as the EU, Türkiye, the US and Bulgaria.

Osmani pointed out that Kosovo is a very young country. "In diplomacy, even small gains are achievements and victories. You cannot win everything at once. Frankly, sometimes we take very small steps towards the future," she said.

Stating that support to countries going through difficult times should not be a one-time event, Osmani emphasized that international powers should continue their support after stopping civil conflict in a country.

"It was really a great gain for us that the international public opinion and the international community especially came and stood by us and then established peace," she said, referring to the turbulent times Kosovo went through during the war.

Explaining that innocent people, women and children suffer in wars and conflicts, Osmani noted that the UN should not remain insensitive to those issues and said her country is ready to provide the necessary support in such moments.

*Writing by Emre Basaran