The war in Ukraine has raised political tensions throughout Europe – but notably between Kosovo and Serbia. In Brussels, officials have told both sides to cool their rhetoric and warned Kosovo that without an agreement to normalize relations with Belgrade, the time for joining the EU is running out.

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti says Belgrade is destabilizing the Balkans through “illegal structures” and Serbia’s relationship with Russia includes military, economic, and intelligence ties. What hope is there of an agreement between the two sides before the European Union’s deadline of May 2024? Speaking to DW’s Tim Sebastian from the capital Pristina, Kurti

claimed his country is the democratic success story of the Western Balkans. But what about the corruption, discrimination, and the harassment of journalists? And, more than 20 years after the conflict in Kosovo, why are 1000 war crimes cases still pending?

Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro
00:56 Albin Kurti Welcome
01:20 Serbian support for Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine
01:45 Serbian military cooperation with Russian Federation & Belarus
02:35 NATO peacekeepers in Kosovo
03:05 Belgrade never distanced itself from regime of MIlosevic
03:45 Inflammatory rhetoric from Kosovo & Serbia
04:10 Gazprom in Serbian energy sector
04:40 Russian "humanitarian" center in Nis, Serbia
05:22 MIG-29s from Russia and Belarus, weapons from China
06:00 Stoltenberg's warning that NATO could intervene
06:24 Rule of law in Kosovo
07:03 A ID cards & number plates and Josep Borrell
07:31 Peace & stability and US Treasury blacklists
07:55 Serbia is a client regime of Kremlin
08:53 Kosovo defense spending increase & Partnership for Peace
09:23 2024 Deadline from Brussels on EU membership
10:15 Miroslav Lacek and the closing window of opportunity
12:04 OSCE and Kosovo Serb voting
13:23 Reciprocity means equality
14:03 Tear gas in parliament
14:50 Bosnia & Republika Srpska
15:55 Transparency International Corruption Perception Index
16:12 World Press Freedom Index
16:49 Corruption in Kosovo
19:30 Media landscape
21:42 1000 war crimes cases pending?
22:20 Many more cases to be prosecuted
23:45 Carla del Ponte and KLA witness intimidation

Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/user/deutschewelleenglish?sub_confirmation=1

For more news go to: http://www.dw.com/en/
Follow DW on social media:
►Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deutschewellenews/
►Twitter: https://twitter.com/dwnews
►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dwnews
►Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/dwnews_hangout
Für Videos in deutscher Sprache besuchen Sie: https://www.youtube.com/dwdeutsch

#Serbia #Russia #Putin