The President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, who is on an official visit to Finland, emphasized the importance that any future peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia should not encourage Moscow to “pursue further its imperialist and territorial ambitions against other countries.”
“And I’m not only talking about this part of Europe — I’m also referring to the Western Balkans, because there has always been a traditional and historical goal by Russia to create a domino effect,” Osmani said on Wednesday during a joint press conference with Finnish President Alexander Stubb in Helsinki.
Osmani stated that if concessions are made to Russia simply because it is bigger and has more weapons, “this is dangerous for the rest of the world, not just for the European continent.”
She also noted that she believes it is very important that U.S. President Donald Trump is paying attention to human suffering.
“When we adopt a human-centered approach, peace becomes possible,” Osmani said.
The President of Kosovo argued that the Kremlin’s objective goes beyond territorial conquest, aiming instead to undermine European unity and discredit the value-based systems of the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
“Because beyond territory, what [Russian President Vladimir] Putin wants is an unstable Europe. What Putin wants is to send the message that value-based systems represented by the EU and NATO are a failure. We must not give him that narrative, because Kosovo is a testament to the success of the European Union, NATO, and the transatlantic partnership.”
She stressed the importance of maintaining a strong transatlantic relationship between Europe and the United States, saying, “History has shown us that only when this relationship is strong do we see successes that contribute to a united, free, and peaceful Europe.”
Osmani is on a two-day visit to Finland. During her meeting with President Stubb, the two leaders discussed bilateral relations between Kosovo and Finland, the war in Ukraine, the situation in the Western Balkans, and European security.
