Former U.S. diplomat James Rubin recounted a heated phone call involving Adem Demaçi and Madeleine Albright, in which Demaçi reportedly said that either Kosovo would become independent or “we will all die.” Rubin said he was present when the call took place.
Rubin explained that after Rambouillet, he and Madeleine Albright summoned Adem Demaçi because they believed Demaçi had influence over Hashim Thaçi — not the other way around. A document of Albright’s notes about her conversations with Demaçi, asking whether he supported Thaçi, was shown to the witness. Albright described the exchange as “the fiercest conversation I have ever heard.”
Rubin recalled that Demaçi came across as an authority not because of formal power but because of ideological stature. He said Thaçi needed someone like Demaçi to push the independence agenda forward. According to Rubin, Thaçi preferred to postpone declaring independence, while Demaçi insisted: “Independence — or let us die.”
Rubin interpreted this as evidence that Thaçi relied on Demaçi for ideological backing and legitimacy within their group. He added that the phrase “independence or we will all die” struck him as extremely harsh, and that the expression “thirsty for blood” was also mentioned in the context.
