Gurakuç Kuçi, external collaborator at the Institute for Hybrid Warfare Studies “OCTOPUS,” reacted critically to statements made by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić Aleksandar Vučić, who declared that he would not discuss Kosovo “not with Marco Rubio, nor with Saint Peter,” adding that “Kosovo is Serbia, was and will be” and describing the situation as “the end of history.”
Kuçi noted that Vučić made this statement almost simultaneously with his comparison of the U.S.–Iran conflict to Serbia’s victimization and NATO’s humanitarian intervention in 1999, highlighting what he considers a broader pattern of political messaging. According to Kuçi, Vučić is not merely positioning himself as a political leader but is attempting to elevate his authority to a level of sanctity, absolutizing his power and linking it to what is perceived as inherently “Serbian.”
Kuçi explained that this approach bears similarities to theocratic regimes, where political power assumes a mythical and sacred dimension. He emphasized that Saint Peter, born in Bethsaida, Palestine, is one of Christianity’s most significant apostles, representing the universal dimension of the faith. Serbia has often positioned itself as a protector of European Christianity and Orthodoxy, particularly when accusing Kosovo of infringing on the rights of Serbs and threatening religious heritage.
However, Kuçi stressed that Vučić’s statement creates a paradox, as the figure of Saint Peter is used rhetorically while political power is placed above the sacred. He argued that this is not merely a statement against the United States but an instrumentalization of a holy figure for political purposes, adding that if the Serbian Orthodox Church remains consistent with its doctrine, it should respond to the use of saints in everyday political debates, as sanctity cannot serve as a shield for power.
In conclusion, Kuçi said that by invoking Marco Rubio and Saint Peter in his political discourse, Vučić sacralizes his authority and declares “the end of history” as a political act. He warned that peace in the Western Balkans remains fragile as long as narratives of absolutism and denial continue to be propagated from centers of power in Belgrade.
