Ana Brnabić the “cold” weapon of Vucic’s Twitter diplomacy

If you can’t beat them, insult them. It is a new kind of diplomacy that is being practiced these days on Twitter by the Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić, who has blasted the US Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, the German Foreign Minister, Analene Berbock, and the European Parliament’s rapporteur, Viola von Kramon. Knowing that they only react when you call them out properly and publicly, what do we care, because we don’t depend on them anyway… Is that really the Prime Minister?

After talking with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti in Pristina, and before arriving in Belgrade where he will meet with representatives of the Serbian authorities, the US Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Eskobar, said that America categorically opposes the return of Serbian forces to the north of Kosovo. And this is something that the President and Prime Minister of Serbia have been talking about for several days, and the Government of Serbia will decide tomorrow whether they will ask KFOR to consider this request.

And what has the Prime Minister of Serbia done?

She sat down and wrote the following:

„I see that my friend Gabe Escobar is yet another politician who is adamantly against valid Resolutions of the UN Security Council. He took over the role of the Security Council and with unanimous vote of himself, MFA of Germany and Minister von Cramon of Silence, also known as EP Rapporteur for Kosovo, annulled the UNSCR 1244. No need for the UN to organize sessions of the Security Council, as a cost-saving measure, this Troika will decide on all the global issues henceforth. One question if I may (with due apologies to these Great Leaders) – if UNSCR 1244 is no longer valid (because you don’t like it, and, thus, who cares about it), and if the Brussels Agreement does not exist (as Kurti says, and you, Great Leaders, never denied his words)… …and if the Washington Agreement is nothing but a thing of the past (simply no longer in fashion), and the UN Charter doesn’t apply to Serbia (because, again, you, Great Leaders, think it shouldn’t) – then in accordance with what agreement/resolution/principle should we act? Or are we just supposed to follow your horoscope in order to guess your wishes and help save the world peace? I thank you for your time – I can only imagine how busy it must be to run the world instead of the UN“, Brnabić wrote on Twitter.

A little earlier, she reacted very diplomatically to the publication of the rapporteur of the European Parliament, Viola von Kramon, in which she calls for the removal of the barricades in the north of Kosovo, which were erected by Serbs protesting the arrest of former police officer Dejan Pantić.

„Finally, long awaited announcement from the fake Secretary General of the UN Viola von Cramon, who also assumed the role of KFOR Commander in Chief, General Expert on all matters – from Lithium to EuroPride, and Chief Defender of the rule of law & human rights (Serbs excluded). Master of SILENCE when Albin Kurti appointed Nenad Rašić as a Minister for Communities and Returns, to represent Serbs in Kosovo – a man who won 0.2% of the votes in the elections, 30 times less than the representatives of the Serb List. Master of SILENCE when, 10 days ago (on 2 Dec), Gavrilo Milosavljević (63) was arrested without any explanation when he went to report seized property in the Municipality of Istok. Master of Meditation when, 6 days ago (6 Dec), Kosovo Police violently stormed Zubin Potok, and then Mitrovica – directly breaching the Brussels Agreement. EP Rapporteur, also known as “No need for me to say anything”, when, 3 days ago (9 Dec), Kurti declared that Serbia’s demand for Kosovo to establish Association of Serb Municipalities is “childish” – thus directly opposing the Brussels Agreement which EU is the guarantor of. Now finally, she felt obliged to say SOMETHING about peace & stability in the North of Kosovo, and, in her statement, called on dissolution of the UN Security Council whose Resolutions should be ignored if she doesn’t like them. Bravo! Sometimes better to remain silent… “ wrote Brnabić on Twitter on 12. December.

In this series, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany, Analena Berbok, did not miss either, who praised the decision of the Kosovo authorities to postpone the elections in the north of Kosovo, which were scheduled for December 18, and judged that the sending of Serbian soldiers was unacceptable.

In the last Foreign Ministers’ Communique of G7 countries (14 May 2022), in addressing each and every problem or crisis in the world (Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, etc.) they’ve asked for a strict implementation of the respective UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR). Now, surprisingly, the MFA of Germany is explicitly saying that the UNSCR 1244 – which stipulates that Serbia has the right to ask for the return of certain number of its security forces to Kosovo – should be ignored, because it is “unacceptable”. In terms of international law and stability, based on which criteria do you decide which UNSCR must be respected, and which must be ignored – e.g., in case of Libya, UNSCR 2571 must be respected, but in case of Serbia, UNSCR 1244 must be ignored? Stunning level of absurdity. What Serbs in Kosovo long for, is peace & stability. We, also, wouldn’t mind seeing some respect for international law, UN Charter, UNSCR. One last thing: there wouldn’t be tensions that needed to be reduced if Kurti respected agreements and didn’t breach them unilaterally, Brnabić told Berbokova.

If you thought that the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, “got away with it” – he didn’t.

Apparently, the Quint, along with the EU Josep Borrell say that barricades in the north of Kosovo must be removed as they are illegal. Interestingly, they aren’t so vocal about the illegality of arresting Serbs, e.g. Dejan Pantić, arrested yesterday without any evidence, or when the Brussels Agreement is breached by Kosovar police entering Serb-majority municipalities in the North armed with rifles/long barrels. Those people on the barricades are clearly voicing their protests, and they are doing it peacefully. The only way for them to be heard, unfortunately, is on the barricades. Have you heard them when their right to vote was taken away in January this year? No, not really. Have you heard them 3 months ago when their property was confiscated by Prishtina to build illegal military stations? Absolutely not. Have you heard them 136 times when different Serbian families were attacked only this year (50% increase since Kurti came to power in Prishtina)? No. You are paying attention only when they are on the barricades. The barricades are not simply showing their discontent and despair, and they are there not only because their basic human rights are endangered, but they are ALSO protecting the Brussels Agreement which you have signed and whose implementation the EU is supposed to guarantee. The barricades are a call for peace and ALSO call for action by international community to start doing its job! So, yes, help Kurti remove the barricades and, along with him, you will be removing all that has left of your authority and credibility, Brnabić wrote.

And thus practically closed the circle. America, Germany, the European Union… It couldn’t have been better.

Or could it?/Nova.rs