Last month, CIA Director William Burns visited three countries in the Western Balkans, including Kosovo, where the potential for serious conflict remains high.
Many have deemed this visit as the most significant in the region in the past fifteen years, aiming to set “red lines” for regional political leadership, according to an analysis by the Robert Lansing Institute.
Burns’ first stop was Bosnia and Herzegovina, where he met with the members of the BiH Presidency and sent a message to Milorad Dodik, the controversial leader of the BiH entity, who stands between Putin and the West as a puppet of Vucic.
Dodik is known for his divisive policies, including threats to separate Republika Srpska from Bosnia and Herzegovina, maintaining close ties with Russia, promoting hate speech against Bosniaks, and denying the Srebrenica genocide.
After Burns’ visit, Dodik noted that he never intended to separate the RS entity from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Although Burns’ visit to Serbia was notably subdued, Serbia’s role as a hub for Russian intelligence activities and its growing relations with China likely influenced the visit.
Burns’ visit to Belgrade was not a gift for President Aleksandar Vucic but rather a reflection of broader geopolitical concerns represented by Serbia.
Meanwhile, Burns’ visit to Kosovo occurred during a period of tension between the U.S. government and Kosovo.
U.S. Ambassador to Pristina, Jeff Hovenier, has recently expressed concern that the Kosovar government is, on some occasions, challenging U.S. interests.
Both the U.S. and the EU have urged Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti to adhere to international demands, particularly avoiding actions perceived as unilateral.
A few days ago, during a meeting with Prime Minister Kurti, several prominent figures from Serbia expressed concerns about the potential development of events in the region.
Sonja Biserko, president of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia, along with Nenad Čanak, former president of the Social Democratic Party of Vojvodina, and Mark Baskin, senior advisor from the Humanitarian Dialogue Center, voiced concerns about reports of housing being built for Serbs in Kosovo, especially those from the northern region, in the Sanjak region of Serbia.
They have called on the Kosovar government to verify these reports.
Indicators suggest that Vucic might orchestrate a plan involving the relocation of Serbs from northern Kosovo to Serbia.
“Vucic, in his difficult state, may fabricate a justification to accuse Kosovo of ethnic cleansing of Serbs, which could lead to a troubling humanitarian situation and severe international consequences for Kosovo,” states the American institute’s analysis, reports Telegrafi.
Meanwhile, Miroslav Lajcak, the EU Special Representative for the Western Balkans, recently met with Vucic.
After their discussion, Vucic announced that he would address the public regarding the situation within the next 72 hours.
Such events are occurring just days before the anniversary of the September 24th terrorist attack on the Kosovo Police in Banjskë, where police officer Afrim Bunjaku was killed.
On Wednesday, the Kosovo Special Prosecutor’s Office filed charges against 45 individuals, including Milan Radoicic, in connection with the attack.
Serbia has yet to take any concrete steps to bring the perpetrators of the Banja attack to justice, despite many being within Serbian borders.
