"Zelensky promoted Belgrade's narrative against Kosovo", Joseph: Serbia is arming Ukraine, but remains loyal to Russia

The visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Serbia, considered a diplomatic step to strengthen relations between the two countries, has sparked reactions and controversy in the Balkans.

American expert on the Balkans, Edward P. Joseph, a professor at Johns Hopkins University SAIS in Washington, believes that Zelensky's visit has served Ukraine's interests, but at the same time has given Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić an opportunity to strengthen his political position.

In an analysis published for "Vox Ukraine", Joseph writes that Serbia continues to remain an important partner for Russia and China in the Balkans, even though it supplies Ukraine with significant amounts of ammunition through third countries.

According to him, this situation has placed Belgrade in a paradoxical position, as Serbia continues to cooperate with Ukraine, while at the same time refusing to join the European Union's sanctions against Russia.

Joseph points out that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian diplomacy have repeatedly criticized Serbia for supplying Ukraine with ammunition. He also mentions the statement of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who said that it would be unacceptable for Serbia to participate in arming Ukraine.

However, the American expert argues that Zelensky's visit will not change Serbia's strategic orientation.

“Ahead of the visit, Vučić made it clear that Serbia would not change its stance on sanctions against Russia,” Joseph writes.

He goes even further, saying that Belgrade cannot completely break away from Moscow, as such a thing would imply deep reforms in the area of ​​the rule of law, which, according to him, the current regime is not willing to implement.

One of the strongest criticisms in the analysis relates to Zelensky's statement on Kosovo.

Joseph believes that the Ukrainian president was wrong when he compared Ukraine's stance towards Kosovo with respect for territorial integrity, emphasizing that the International Court of Justice found in 2010 that Kosovo's declaration of independence did not violate international law.

According to him, by repeating the Serbian narrative about Kosovo, Zelensky has risked strengthening the arguments of the Kremlin, which for years has been using the Kosovo issue to justify the invasion of Ukraine.

In conclusion, Joseph argues that Ukraine should reconsider its approach towards Kosovo, emphasizing that recognizing the state of Kosovo would serve Kiev's strategic interests and would also influence the change in the position of several NATO countries that have not yet recognized its independence.

The GeoPost