Serbia and Kosovo are part of the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, an autonomous province of Serbia with a predominantly ethnic Albanian population. In 1998, the Kosovo Albanian armed uprising demanded independence, triggering a bloody clash with the Serbian army. In 1999, under the pretext of preventing ethnic **, NATO bombed the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia for 78 days, forcing Serbia to withdraw its troops from Kosovo. The United Nations took over the administration of Kosovo, and NATO was responsible for maintaining security. In 2008, Kosovo unilaterally declared independence, but Serbia never recognized it, insisting that Kosovo was an integral part of its territory. Kosovo's independence was supported by about 100 countries, including the United States, but countries such as China and Russia sided with Serbia.
Recently, tensions have been rising in the northern part of Kosovo as the Kosovo authorities seek to tighten their grip on this Serb-majority region. On 23 April, the Kosovo authorities, in the face of Serb opposition, held elections in four municipalities in northern Kosovo, in which Albanians were declared the Administrator, but only 3Turnout was 47 per cent, and only 13 Serbs voted. On 26 May, Kosovo authorities sent special police officers to forcibly transport Albanian chiefs into municipal buildings, where they clashed with Serbs, using tear gas and stun grenades, injuring a number of people. On 29 May, the Serbs held an event in front of the municipal building, where there was a fierce confrontation with the Kosovo Police and the NATO peacekeeping force, with personnel from both sides.
Serbian Vučić expressed strong dissatisfaction with the situation in northern Kosovo, speaking after the meeting of the Committee on December 11, saying that Serbia was facing a difficult night, accusing the Kosovo authorities and the United States authorities of not respecting any agreement that had been reached, and also saying that international reports on the situation in Kosovo were "distortions and lies" and that in fact the Serbian people were struggling to survive. He may be referring to some European and American **, such as BBC and CNN, who often make negative reports about Serbia and support the position of the Kosovo authorities, so that many European and American people lack an objective understanding of the tense situation in Kosovo.
Vučić's speech reflected Serbia's predicament, which he believes has reached a critical moment for its survival. In the past, Serbia has made some concessions on the Kosovo issue in order to ease relations with the United States, such as complying with UN Resolution 1244 and allowing the United Nations and NATO to be stationed in Kosovo to maintain stability in the Balkans. But these concessions have not been exchanged for friendship with the United States, which continues to exert military, economic and political pressure on Serbia, support Kosovo's independence, and even plot to provoke a new military conflict in the Balkans. Vučić recently signed some agreements at the White House, but the United States is still on the side of Kosovo against Serbia. This has led to a surge of anti-American sentiment in Serbia and even more anger among Serbs against Kosovo.
Vučić faces a difficult choice, he can either continue to endure US bullying and provocations in Kosovo, or take tough action to defend Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. If he chooses the former, his political prestige will be seriously damaged, his ruling team will be condemned by the Serb people, and radical forces in Serbia may rise, increasing the risk of war with Kosovo. If he chooses the latter, he will face a military confrontation with NATO, Serbia's military power is far from NATO, and the army and people of Serbia will pay a heavy price. But he may also have the support of Russia, showing the indomitable spirit of the Serb people to fight for a better future for Serbia against the backdrop of the decline of American hegemony.
Vučić's choice will affect the future of Serbia, as well as peace in the Balkans. We hope that the United States will stop pressing Serbia step by step and that the world situation will remain peaceful. After all, many wars could have been avoided without the sowing of discord by US imperialism. We also hope that Serbia and Kosovo will be able to resolve their historical disputes through dialogue and negotiation, achieve peaceful coexistence and enable both Serbs and Albanians to live happily ever after.