During the graduation ceremony of 130 new officers of the Serbian Armed Forces, President Aleksandar Vučić reiterated his territorial claims over Kosovo and called for further increase of the country’s military power.
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In his address to the newly graduated servicemen, Vučić stressed that Kosovo belongs to Serbia “according to constitutional law and divine justice,” urging the future officers to “defend” what he described as a “holy land.”
These assertions have sparked immediate reactions, being considered a direct continuation of official Belgrade’s language towards Kosovo, precisely at a time when the dialogue between the two countries aims to calm relations and normalize the situation in the Balkans.
Valdet Hoxha: Kosovo must show high vigilance
Security analyst Valdet Hoxha warns that the Serbian president is leading policies that undermine regional peace, accompanying participation in talks with provocative rhetoric towards Prishtina.
In his statement for “Bota sot”, Hoxha emphasizes that the armed incidents in Banjska and at the Ibër-Lepenc canal are concrete evidence that such words cannot be taken lightly.
“Aleksandar Vučić rules Serbia as an authoritarian leader following in the footsteps of the Milošević model, producing policies and circumstances that destabilize the entire region. Unlike his predecessor, Vučić operates with greater cunning — simultaneously negotiating in the Kosovo–Serbia dialogue, signing agreements and trying to present himself as a cooperative party, while fueling a war spirit through statements that deny Kosovo’s statehood and through fabricating stories about endangering the Serbian community.”
“The terrorist attacks in Banjska and Ibër-Lepenc — organized, financed and trained in Serbia, as proven by investigations of the Special Prosecution and our international partners — clearly show that these declarations and this nationalist approach must not be ignored,” adds the expert.
According to Hoxha, Prishtina must strengthen its defensive capabilities, modernize the army and deepen cooperation with allies to ensure the country’s defense and resilience.
“Serbia’s territorial ambitions towards Kosovo are no secret and surprise no one, because neither the political class, nor the hegemonic and genocidal policies have undergone transformation, just as the aims for ethnic cleansing have not disappeared. Relying on these realities, Kosovo must move on two fronts: continue building the Armed Forces according to NATO standards and develop a ‘Smart Defense’ concept with countries like Albania, Croatia and Bulgaria; and simultaneously strengthen strategic defense coordination not only with the United States, but also with the United Kingdom and the European Union, states that have been allies in the liberation and building of the state of Kosovo,” Hoxha underlines.
Racaj: Such messages deepen the political and security crisis in the region
Meanwhile, Prof. Dr. Muhamet Racaj, specialist in security, defense and geopolitics, assesses that Vučić’s stances represent a continuity of the state discourse that keeps the Kosovo issue unresolved and exploits it for Serbian domestic and foreign policy purposes.
He warns that such a stance increases tensions and undermines the dialogue process, as well as regional stability.
“President Vučić’s words during the officer promotion are not just ordinary political rhetoric. They constitute the continuation of a state discourse that keeps the Kosovo issue open and instrumentalizes it for domestic and foreign policies. This approach directly clashes with the spirit of dialogue, with norms of good neighborliness and with the goals for sustainable stability in the Western Balkans.”
“Absolutely yes. Such messages elevate political and security tensions. When the head of state addresses newly appointed officers by calling Kosovo a Serbian territory and assigning political missions to the army, he sends a signal that is interpreted as casting doubt on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Kosovo. This does not promote peace, but cultivates suspicion and risks collective security in the region.”
“The dialogue process requires acceptance of reality and respect for international agreements. Serbia cannot appear engaged for normalization while its leadership continues not to recognize Kosovo and uses language that contradicts the process led by the European Union. This behavior diminishes trust in the process itself,” Racaj declares for “Bota sot”.
Furthermore, Racaj points out that the modernization of the Serbian army takes on worrying dimensions when accompanied by political rhetoric against Kosovo, also serving for nationalist mobilization and consolidation of internal political power.
“Every state has the right to strengthen its defensive capacities, but when this modernization is accompanied by declarations against a neighboring country and with territorial claims, it takes the form of pressure and intimidation. This becomes even more concerning in a region with a painful history of wars, where the perception of danger directly affects common security. Kosovo remains the main mobilizing axis of Serbian nationalism and in moments of tension, the reappearance of this narrative diverts attention from real problems and strengthens cohesion around the political leadership. There are many indicators that confirm this. Linking the army with rhetoric on Kosovo generates a spirit of forced patriotism, which is often exploited to increase support for the government, but history shows us that the instrumentalization of national themes does not create stability — on the contrary, it feeds futile tensions and hinders the building of healthy regional relations,” he concludes.
At the end of his analysis, Racaj emphasizes that the future of the Western Balkans requires leadership that promotes peace, dialogue and respect for state sovereignty.
“Our region needs leaders who inspire cooperation and respect the international reality, not rhetoric that reawakens narratives of the past. Peace and stability are built only on mutual understanding, cooperation and acceptance of the sovereignty of states. Any declaration that opposes these principles deepens insecurity and harms the European journey of the entire region,” he concluded for “Bota sot”.
