Kuçi: Belgrade exploits Kosovo to consolidate power, while Moscow maintains support for Vuçiq

Political developments in Serbia and Russia’s support for Serbian President Aleksandër Vuçiq could also have consequences for Kosovo. Security expert Gurakuç Kuçi told Kosovapress that Belgrade continues to use the Kosovo issue as a political instrument.

According to Kuçi, Serbia is exploiting the Kosovo issue for domestic political purposes, particularly to mobilize the electorate through nationalist rhetoric.

The expert says the influence of the Serbian elections has begun to extend to Kosovo as well, as Belgrade seeks to manipulate the Serbs living there and refocus attention on nationalism. He recalls that Kosovo has also been used in the past by nationalists and radicals in Serbia as a means of gaining and maintaining power.

Kuçi says Kosovo is currently being used for two main purposes: first, to retain power and, second, to portray Vuçiq’s regime as a factor capable of bringing stability but also of causing destabilization in the region. According to him, Belgrade aims to convey the message that regional stability depends on its victory and that Serbia is capable of either destabilizing the region or keeping it calm.

He added that this approach is used to influence the public in Serbia and international diplomacy, so that excessive pressure is not exerted on Aleksandër Vuçiq and circumstances that could lead to the loss of his power are not created. In this context, according to the expert, the Serbian community in Kosovo is also being used, while pressure is being placed on international missions to enable elections to be held illegally within the Republic of Kosovo, as has happened in the past.

Kuçi also commented on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s support for Vuçiq. He described this support as evidence that Serbia has not moved away from the Russian orbit and that efforts to bring it closer to the West have not produced results.

According to him, Putin’s support shows that Moscow’s and Belgrade’s strategies are coordinated. Kuçi also linked this coordination to the concepts of the “Serbian World” and the “Russian World,” stressing that the former was created during the period when the latter was published and sanctified by the Russian Orthodox Church.

The expert says this represents full coordination of a strategy of unification and global multipolarism, aimed at expanding Serbia’s and Russia’s influence throughout the Balkans.

Speaking about regional security, Kuçi expressed concern over cooperation between Serbia and Russia, particularly regarding hybrid warfare. He warned that Kosovo must prepare for various scenarios, including cyberattacks, staged incidents and efforts to foment conflict.

He stressed that Russia’s promotion of hybrid warfare is taking place on a large scale and that Serbia’s close cooperation with Moscow poses a significant threat. According to him, the European Union is taking major steps to prepare for these risks, while Kosovo must also join these efforts to protect itself.

Kuçi explained that, in addition to conventional terrorist threats, hybrid warfare methods could also be used through cyberattacks, destabilization and incidents involving various groups. He also mentioned the possibility of fomenting conflict through deliberately initiated incidents, such as a fabricated fight or similar events.

In conclusion, the security expert said that Kosovo’s institutions must maintain coordination with international partners, particularly in the areas of security, intelligence and protection against hybrid threats.