The Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs has formally requested that Kosovo release a Russian citizen and two Belarusians currently in custody.
Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian MFA, linked the request to concerns about a developing military alliance between Albania, Kosovo, and Croatia. She stated:
“A year ago, Zagreb, Tirana, and Pristina signed an agreement for military cooperation in the field of security. At that time, a series of broad measures were approved to form a regional military bloc, and now the practical phase is beginning.”
Zakharova confirmed that Moscow has been closely monitoring military movements in Albania, Croatia, and Kosovo.
“They are increasing operational cooperation between their armies, purchasing weapons, drones, air defense systems, anti-tank weapons, and more,” she said.
She also expressed concerns over perceived hostile influence and cyber threats from third countries, while asserting that Kosovo’s army creation violates UN Resolution 1244.
Zakharova added:
“The anti-Serbian sentiment of the Croato-Albanian project is evident, and Belgrade is rightly raising the alarm, understanding the full risk of spreading a hostile security component on its borders.”
She called on Western nations to act before it is too late to prevent an arms race. However, her statements omitted that Serbia remains the most heavily armed country in the Western Balkans and continues to pose a military threat to Kosovo.
