Serbia’s president on Thursday accused the West of hypocrisy, saying its recognition of Kosovo’s independence was based on the same justification as Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Speaking to the United Nations General Assembly, Serbian Aleksandar Vucic said Western countries cited the principles of sovereignty and human rights when they approved Kosovo’s status as an independent nation.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, nearly a decade after NATO helped push Serbian forces out of the former province in a bloody war that killed around 13,000 people. mostly ethnic Albanians. The United States and most European Union countries have recognized Kosovo.
“They did not burst out laughing when the Russian president used the same words to justify his attack on Ukraine,” Vucic said at the summit. “They forgot that they themselves used the same story, the same words and the same explanations.”
Vucic said this was clearly a case of double standards.
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“The worst thing is that all those who committed aggression against the Republic of Serbia are today giving lessons about the territorial integrity of Ukraine,” he said.
He added: “The principles do not change from one circumstance to another. And that’s why I believe that in the modern world, either there will be principles, and the same rules will apply to everyone, or, in the world in which we end up, the deepest divisions in our history.
Kosovo remains predominantly populated by ethnic Albanians, but in the northern parts of the territory, near the border with Serbia, ethnic Serbs remain the majority in several municipalities.
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Belgrade – along with its main allies China and Russia – have refused to recognize Kosovo’s independence.
Belgrade has sought to balance its traditional ties with Russia – including its shared Orthodox heritage and mutual dislike of NATO – with its support for kyiv during the war.
Last month, Serbia, along with ten other Balkan countries, signed a declaration expressing their “unwavering support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its borders internationally recognized” in the face of Russian aggression.
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