Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has stirred controversy by claiming that Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti plans to request major security changes during his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.
Speaking on television just days before local elections, Vučić said he had received information from “his people” close to Kurti, alleging that the Kosovo leader would ask France to support the withdrawal of KFOR from northern Kosovo. According to Vučić, this would allow Kosovo authorities to deploy their own security forces in the area, which he described as a “very dangerous” move.
Vučić also claimed that Kurti might seek French backing to impose restrictions on how Serbia uses its military capabilities, specifically ensuring they are never used against Albanians. He warned that such proposals would represent a threat to peace and expressed confidence that neither NATO nor Macron would support them.
However, political analysts have cast doubt on these assertions. Experts argue that such statements are primarily aimed at a domestic audience, particularly in the context of elections, and serve to raise tensions and reinforce narratives of national insecurity.
Dragan Popović noted that Macron has been one of Vučić’s key partners in Europe, especially through economic cooperation and defense deals. He suggested that any perceived shift in France’s stance could trigger strong reactions from Vučić, whose international position may be under pressure.
Igor Novaković emphasized that the mandate of KFOR has never been seriously questioned and that any such change would require consensus within NATO, making Vučić’s claims highly unlikely in practice.
Meanwhile, Duško Lopandić pointed out that Vučić’s concerns may also stem from broader political dynamics, including increased engagement between French political actors and Serbian opposition groups—something that could challenge the Serbian government’s traditional position as the primary interlocutor with international partners.
Overall, analysts conclude that the strong rhetoric surrounding the Kurti–Macron meeting reflects internal political calculations rather than realistic diplomatic developments.
