The international community has so far remained silent following recent remarks by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, who urged newly commissioned military officers to be prepared to defend what he described as Serbia’s “holy land” a reference widely understood to mean Kosovo.
During the day, KOHA requested comments from the embassies of the five QUINT countries, asking whether Vučić’s statements would have consequences for Serbia. As of Monday, none of the embassies had responded. NATO also declined to comment, stating only: “We do not comment on statements made by individual leaders and officials.”
Speaking at a ceremony for newly commissioned Serbian Army officers, Vučić declared that Kosovo is part of Serbia “according to both the Constitution and God’s justice”—rhetoric reminiscent of the language used by Slobodan Milošević during the 1990s. His remarks came just two weeks after Serbian Minister Snežana Paunović said that, had she been in Milošević’s position, she would have carried out the ethnic cleansing of Kosovo. While Paunović’s statement drew international condemnation, Serbian authorities took no action against her, and both Vučić and Deputy Prime Minister Ivica Dačić publicly defended her.
Kosovo officials have condemned the recent rhetoric, with acting Defense Minister Ejup Maqedonci assuring citizens that Kosovo remains secure despite the threats. Acting Foreign Minister Glauk Konjufca said he also raised concerns over the inflammatory statements of senior Serbian officials during his meeting with French Minister for Europe Benjamin Haddad, stressing that rhetoric which justifies or relativizes the crimes of the 1990s is incompatible with the values of peace, democracy, and a united Europe. He emphasized that lasting peace can only be built on truth, justice, and accountability—not on denying the past or calling for its repetition.
