Kulla: Serbia May Try to Create Tensions, but a New Conflict in Kosovo Is Unlikely

Ilir Kulla, director of the Global Crisis Group, has said that guarantees from the international community are not enough when a country lacks the necessary capabilities to defend itself.

Speaking on the “Matrix” program on Tëvë1, hosted by Mehmet Kalisi, he called on Kosovo to increase its investment in defense and learn from what happened to Ukraine.

Kulla said international guarantees are worthless unless accompanied by a troop presence on the ground. According to him, Kosovo should have a fully fledged army and a budget of at least one billion euros, as the country needs genuine domestic capabilities. He cited the example of Ukraine, which gave up its nuclear weapons in 1994 after receiving international security guarantees, but was later attacked and occupied.

Asked whether Serbia might turn its attention toward Kosovo and stir up further tensions in the region after the end of the war in Ukraine, Kulla said he did not consider such a development likely.

In his assessment, Kosovo’s geopolitical alignment is now clearly defined, while Serbia has no interest in entering into a direct confrontation with the West.

He said the agreement reached between Presidents Trump and Putin has definitively placed Kosovo and the region in the Western camp. Kulla added that Serbia would not be acting wisely if it continued its confrontation with the West and that, although it might try if given the opportunity, he did not believe this was likely to happen.