Russia continues its propaganda against Kosovo

Kosovo authorities have said that the Russian claims are untrue and part of Russian propaganda against Kosovo. Experts say that Kosovo should increase its institutional capacities to face Russian propaganda.

Since the beginning of the Russian aggression in Ukraine, Kosovo has often been mentioned, either as an example of Russian intervention, or even as part of Russian claims for the involvement of Kosovo citizens in the Ukrainian war.

According to a list of the Russian Interior Ministry that was published by the Russian embassy in Albania last month, 156 mercenaries from Kosovo were involved in the war in Ukraine, 61 of them were eliminated, 60 returned while 35 remained on the ground.

The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kreshnik Ahmeti, says for the Voice of America that these claims of officials of the Russian Federation are untrue.

“Kosovo has not been ashamed of the support it has given to Ukraine and it has decided this as early as February 24, when the attack of the Russian Federation on Ukraine continues, and we have given the support in an open and official form, as is already known to the Ukrainian people, but also the masses sanctions that we have approved in full line with the foreign policy of the EU and the United States of America, therefore the claims about the so-called “mercenaries” are absolutely untrue and it is a special war that the Russian Federation is also waging against the country our”, said Mr. Ahmeti.

The KIPRED Institute in Pristina has been publishing reports on Russian propaganda against Kosovo for years.

The director of this institute, Lulzim Peci, tells the Voice of America that there is no citizen from Kosovo who has gone to Ukraine, while underlining the fact that participation in foreign wars is punishable by law.

“What is happening is part of Russian propaganda, which has been built for decades and now it has its own intensities, i.e. decline or rise. But, Kosovo will be used by Russia until we resolve the bilateral relations with Serbia, but maybe even further”. he said.

A few days before the start of the aggression against Ukraine, the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, called for the international community to recognize the annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014 as a “legitimate reflection of the choice of local residents”, comparing it to independence of Kosovo. Russian officials have on various occasions also denied Serbia’s crimes committed in Kosovo.

“It is not surprising that Kosovo is mentioned so often by him. Of course, Kosovo has nothing to do with the independence process with the so-called republics that are an integral part of the Ukrainian state, because Kosovo emerged as a state, as a Republic, from a violent process of the dissolution of Yugoslavia during which Serbia led a number wars and a genocidal project”, said Deputy Minister Ahmeti.

The Director of the Kosovo Center for Security Studies, Mentor Vrajolli, says that the case of Ukraine has exposed the bad intentions of Russia towards Kosovo, connecting it with certain problems.

“Often, Russia manages to extend its influence even in organizations which in some form are created to face challenges that Russia conveys. To put it in perspective, Spain’s attitude towards Kosovo in many institutions is similar to Russia’s narratives in relation to Kosovo, and the breaking of this unity and the unwillingness of NATO and EU countries to face united in common policies often gives opportunity for Russia to use these stories against NATO and the EU itself”, he says.

“Russia has been increasing its propaganda against Kosovo for a long time, which it uses as a tool for its own purposes. He did this with the attack on Georgia in 2008, in Crimea and now with the aggression against Ukraine. Russia will continue to do this and Kosovo is one of the points where Russia’s propaganda is concentrated”, said Lulzim Peci from the Kipred Institute.

Mr. Peci says that Kosovo does not have any political entity that is pro-Russian and this, according to him, is a great advantage compared to other countries in the region. However, he says that Kosovo has shortcomings in the institutional confrontation with Russian propaganda.

“Just such statements are not enough, to say that (Vladimir) Putin is a criminal or something similar, I think we need to build a real policy towards Russia. We won’t be able to build this policy properly without getting to know Russia well.” he said.

“The war in Ukraine can also have an impact on us (in Kosovo) due to the fact that Russia is interested in having the great pressure put on it in the war in Ukraine be transferred elsewhere. So we must be vigilant and the international mechanisms in this case KFOR must be vigilant and increase the border controls in the northern part of the country on the border with Serbia due to the fact that the risk of trying to stage any internal conflict in Kosovo is still present”, said the director of the Kosovo Center for Security Studies, Mentor Vrajolli.

The deputy minister of foreign affairs, Kreshnik Ahmeti, says that the institutions through the diplomatic network are denying the Russian claims.

“In most cases, these claims are already debunked because a country like the Russian Federation, which is known for fake news after February 24, cannot be a reliable source of information, and has absolutely lost its credibility.” he said.

Security analysts say that all the fake news spread by Russian sources is aimed at portraying Kosovo as a failed country.

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