MOSCOW, November 3. / TASS /. The West is complicit in the flare-up of the recent developments in the Balkans, and due to that, Kosovar extremists can whip up a conflict there at any time, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated on her Telegram channel on Wednesday.
"The situation in the Balkans is getting worse <…> as a result, the Balkan powder keg of Europe can be ignited at any time by Kosovar radicals with the connivance or direct incitement from their Western patrons," the Russian diplomat noted.
According to Zakharova, the Albanian radicals "are persistently trying to get rid of the Kosovo Serbs." The Russian diplomat recalled that the Kosovar special forces invaded Serb-populated areas, which "remained autonomous within Serbia in line with international law," twice in the current autumn.
"The source of problems are the Albanian ultranationalists, who took over Kosovo and are asserting their power on the eve of local elections scheduled for November 14. They are being aided and abetted by the Western states, especially by those who unleashed NATO’s aggression against Yugoslavia in 1999 aiming to separate Kosovo from Serbia regardless of the numerous human losses," the Russian diplomat said. She also pointed out that the West was trying to make Serbia abandon its national interests and historical memory.
Furthermore, citing Belgrade officials, the diplomatic spokeswoman blamed the UK for whipping up the Kosovo conflict. As Zakharova stated, British instructors were training Kosovar police personnel, "while undercover agents monitored the situation in the northern municipalities, taking photos and videos of the Serb protesters during the clashes."
The situation in Kosovo
The situation in Kosovo and Metohija escalated dramatically twice during the autumn due to the belligerent actions of the Pristina authorities, who use riot police units. As a result of the latest upsurge in tensions, several dozen Serbs were hurt, one receiving a serious gun wound.
The Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija declared independence unilaterally in February 2008 and has been actively trying to join global organizations, including UNESCO and Interpol, in recent years. Over 60 countries, in particular, Russia, India and China as well as the five EU member states, oppose the recognition of Kosovo.