
NATO Denies Serbia an Army Presence in Kosovo
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić had sought to put troops in Northern Kosovo to protect the ethnic Serb minority there.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić had sought to put troops in Northern Kosovo to protect the ethnic Serb minority there.
The decision was due to the latest developments in Kosovo. Authorities in Pristina were preparing to attack the ethnic Serb minority in North Kosovo and to remove the barricades there by force.
According to Vučić, Orbán said that when he traveled to the UK for talks with country’s top politicians, Margaret Thatcher told him: “It bothers me a lot that you refused to attack Serbia because more British soldiers will die.”
The Serbian leader appears caught in a juggling act. At home, he must retain the good graces of his conservative base; abroad he must maintain relations with China, Russia, and the ‘progressive’, staunchly anti-Russian, European Union.
Serbia has been upbraided for not following the Western world’s lead in condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as well as for refraining from sanctions.
While Serbia has traditionally held pro-Russian sympathies, the incumbent Vučić’s government has attempted a difficult balancing act, officially condemning Russian aggression at the UN, while refusing to vote on sanctions.