Defense Minister of Kosovo Armend Mehai stated the importance of the accelerated entry of the unrecognized republic into the North Atlantic Alliance.

“An accelerated entry of Kosovo into NATO is essential to ensure security and stability in the region and beyond at a time when Europe and the world are facing a major security challenge against the backdrop of Russia’s brutal aggression against Ukraine,” Mehai wrote on your Twitter page.

Earlier, Western states condemned the special operation of the Russian Federation in Ukraine, announced on February 24 by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Moscow emphasizes that this was a forced measure designed to help the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics repel aggression from the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The head of the Kosovo Defense Ministry also noted that "there is an urgent need for democratic countries" to take decisive steps and unite in the face of "such a challenge."

“Kosovo has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to democratic values ​​and peace.

We call on countries that have not yet recognized independence (Kosovo.

- RT

) without hesitation to do so, ”said Mehai.

In addition, he called on Washington to deploy a permanent military base in Kosovo, noting that "at such a time" all responsible countries should act together, according to a "joint vision of the world."

“I reiterate my call for the United States to establish a permanent military base in Kosovo to promote peace and stability in the region and beyond,” Mehai said.

Earlier, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, in an interview with the Tanjug agency, published on February 19, said that NATO could accept Kosovo into its membership in six months, in order to force the four EU countries - Greece, Slovakia, Romania and Spain - to recognize its independence.

Break into the alliance

As Pavel Kandel, a leading researcher at the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences, noted in an interview with RT, Kosovo is now trying to take advantage of the "hysteria of the West" because of Russia's special operation in Ukraine and "knock out for itself" NATO membership and a permanent American military base.

“This is a game of Kosovo politicians who try to use any occasion, any situation to get their way,” the expert noted.

In turn, political scientist Alexander Asafov expressed the opinion that against the backdrop of the ongoing events in Ukraine, the Kosovo leadership is trying to become a "beneficiary of a major agenda", of which it is not an actor.

  • Minister of Defense of unrecognized Kosovo Armend Mehai

  • © mod.rks-gov.net

“Pristina's call for Kosovo to join NATO and establish a permanent US base reinforces the anti-Russian Western context.

The Kosovo side hopes that this will give it certain benefits, since it supports the mainstream of Western hysteria regarding the actions of the Russian Federation in Ukraine, ”the analyst believes.

Associate Professor of the Department of History of the Southern and Western Slavs of the Faculty of History of Moscow State University Vladimir Putyatin also believes that Pristina's appeal to the United States and NATO is “connected with the general geopolitical context”, which concerns the Russian special operation in Ukraine.

“Russia has consistently built its foreign policy line on the basis of the non-recognition of Kosovo, in which it supported Serbia.

Since the Russian Federation is now under a flurry of criticism from the West, Pristina is trying to use the current situation to resolve its strategic issues.

The “Russian threat” is used as an excuse to push through decisions that two weeks ago would hardly have aroused the support of the EU countries, ”the expert said.

I agree with the thesis that Kosovo is trying to use the existing international situation in the field of security in order to “force its way into membership in the alliance,” and Nikita Danyuk, deputy director of the Institute for Strategic Studies and Forecasts of the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, member of the Russian Civic Chamber.

“Pristina wants to take advantage of the window of opportunity to join NATO and, due to the current situation in Ukraine, justify the expansion of the alliance,” the analyst said.

Western support

As experts remind, the United States and a number of other NATO countries are the main sponsors and patrons of the project of an independent Kosovo.

“The West supports Pristina in the confrontation with Belgrade.

Many Western countries, and primarily the United States, are de facto on the side of the Kosovo Albanians.

In general, the project of an independent Kosovo is the creation of the United States and a number of other countries of the North Atlantic Alliance,” said Pavel Kandel.

In turn, Vladimir Putyatin said that Washington played an active role in the creation of Kosovo.

“The United States supported it by officially recognizing it, and continue to consistently put pressure on Serbia to recognize the Kosovo Republic,” the expert noted.

Alexander Asafov also said that Kosovo has been supported by the United States "throughout the entire history of the conflict."

“This is seen most clearly when relations between the parties are escalating, for example, as it was in 2021,” the analyst said.

Recall that against the background of the escalation of the confrontation between the Kosovo side and Serbia last fall, the Pentagon decided to strengthen the potential of the Kosovo Security Forces.

This was reported by the US Department of Defense, also noting that the Deputy head of the Pentagon for policy, Colin Kohl, met with Kosovo Defense Minister Mehai to confirm the importance of bilateral cooperation in the field of security.

Then Russia expressed concern and called the Western-backed steps to create a “Kosovo army” a serious problem.

“Such ideas should be put up with a solid barrier, and unacceptable statements on this subject should be given a clear qualification,” said Vasily Nebenzya, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN, at a meeting of the United Nations Security Council.

According to him, the lack of reaction from the West, which actually indulges the actions of the Kosovo side, leads to an open clash between Pristina and Belgrade.

  • Kosovo security official

  • © AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu

Later, in an interview with RT DE, published on February 10, 2022, Russian Ambassador to Serbia Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko said that the conflict between Pristina and Belgrade is not resolved due to the West's double standards and "violation of agreements."

“Pristina, at the suggestion of the West, refuses to comply with resolution 1244. It contains all the fundamental elements, the implementation of which would lead to a sustainable solution and long-term stability in this part of Serbia,” he said.

"Get legitimacy"

According to Pavel Kandel, despite the fact that Kosovo is recognized by many Western countries, including most of the EU and NATO states, the republic remains unrecognized in a number of countries, including European ones.

And in order to achieve greater recognition, Pristina wants to join the North Atlantic Alliance, the expert said.

“She needs this to gain legitimacy for her actions against Serbia,” Kandel said.

Alexander Asafov adheres to a similar position.

“Kosovo thinks that if it joins NATO — contrary to the rules of the alliance itself, by the way — and gets an American military base, then it will cement its statehood, despite the fact that the formation of an unrecognized republic is based on war crimes,” the analyst said.

In turn, Vladimir Putyatin noted that Kosovo is striving to join the North Atlantic Alliance and to create a permanent US military base on its territory in order to increase influence in the region, as well as to increase pressure on Belgrade.

“But Pristina’s calls to Washington and NATO can also be indirectly used by the bloc and the United States to put even more pressure on Serbia, which does not want to recognize Kosovo, and also refuses to impose sanctions against Russia,” the expert believes.

Putyatin also noted that NATO has a number of standards for new members of the alliance, which Kosovo "certainly cannot meet."

“This unrecognized republic remains one of the poorest regions in the Balkans.

In addition, there are big problems with the judicial system and civil administration.

Even those issues that these territories had as part of Yugoslavia have not yet been resolved, ”the analyst said.

Nikita Danyuk expressed a similar opinion.

According to him, if NATO still decides to accept Kosovo into the bloc, this measure "will be absolutely unprecedented."

“After all, from the point of view of state institutions, democracy and civil rights and freedoms, Kosovo can in no way claim to join the alliance,” he said.

At the same time, for Pristina, joining the bloc and creating a permanent American military base is, first of all, strengthening its position in the confrontation with Belgrade, as well as increasing funding for the unrecognized republic, Danyuk believes.

“Serbia is now both militarily and economically much stronger than Kosovo.

But if you are a member of NATO, then by tradition you can do absolutely everything with impunity with the support of your allies.

This is exactly what Pristina is counting on,” the expert said.

At the same time, analysts do not rule out that NATO may decide to grant membership to Kosovo, given the current geopolitical situation.

  • Symbols of NATO

  • AP

“The Alliance can go for it, because in the context of geopolitical tensions between Russia and NATO, it is quite possible that hotheads in the West will support Kosovo's initiatives.

This is how they can demonstrate their influence and capabilities in the Balkans,” believes Vladimir Putyatin.

According to Danyuk, if the North Atlantic Alliance does this, then, on the one hand, it will lead the situation in the region to even greater destabilization, and on the other hand, it will show that “NATO’s story is exclusively about how to harm the national interests and national security of Russia through thoughtless expansion ".

“Then it will become clear that the alliance is striving to have as many territories as possible on its side, no matter what.

And does not care that in fact many members do not meet the NATO standards that are so often spoken about in the bloc.

All this will lead to even greater instability in Kosovo, where, even without this, skirmishes periodically arise with the participation of Kosovo police and ethnic Serbs, who are oppressed, ”the analyst noted.