BELGRADE, April 21. /TASS/. Serbian President Alexandar Vucic said in an interview to TV Prva on Thursday night that he no longer trusted the West, which was blackmailing his country.
"They all promised to me [during the recent talks in North Macedonia’s Ohrid], that the [creation of] the Community of Serb Municipalities will be the first thing to do, and then I, Vucic, will start fulfilling my obligations," he said. "They lied to me from the very start, and they know they were lying. Let me tell you that I no longer trust them, I do not believe in anything they say."
"Let me tell you what’s the trick here, and why they are doing what they are doing," he said. "Their goal is to support the so-called Kosovo and to crush Serbia. I know this is their only goal, their ultimate objective. Maybe they will manage to break me, but they will not break Serbia, I guarantee."
He said that unlike in 1999 and 2008, Serbia "has a lot to lose, so they are blackmailing us."
Another round of negotiations on Kosovo and Metohija was held in the North Macedonian city of Ohrid on March 18, mediated by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell and EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue and other Western Balkan regional issues, Miroslav Lajcak. The sides have come to terms on a number of issues, including on the creation of the long-approved Community of Serb Municipalities in Kosovo. Serbia refuses to make any moves aimed at normalizing relations with Pristina as long as this condition is not met.
After returning from Ohrid, the prime minister of the unrecognized republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti was widely criticized for making this concession. After that, he declared that the Community of Serb Municipalities cannot be created because it contradicts the constitution of Kosovo.
On February 27, the External Action Service of the European Union published its document, headlined Agreement on the path to normalization between Kosovo and Serbia. The document proposes mutual recognition of passports, establishment of Permanent Missions and a commitment to work on "a legally binding agreement on comprehensive normalization of their relations." It also includes the assumption that neither of the two can represent the other in the international sphere or act on its behalf.
After studying the EU plan, Vucic said his republic was forced to choose between isolation and agreeing to all provisions of the new plan, which, among other things, implies Kosovo’s accession to the United Nations, which equals a de-facto recognition of its independence. Moreover, the West threatened to suspend Serbia’s European integration process, stop investment and impose sanctions if Belgrade refuses to accept the terms of the new concept of talks. Vucic described the negotiations as "the toughest of all" he ever had.