Petkovic, Vulin and Russian officials disinform about the alleged “ethnic cleansing” in Kosovo

The director of the so-called Kosovo office in Serbia, Petar Petkovic, has disinformed that allegedly “the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, is deliberately conducting an ethnic cleansing campaign to expel Serbs from northern Kosovo”. At the same time, Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin misrepresented the alleged “ethnic cleansing” at a meeting with Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu in Moscow.

Petkovic said:

“Recent events are leading to the final expulsion of the Serbian population from the province and the creation of an ethnically pure Kosovo, which is the undisguised idea and desire of Albin Kurti,” Petkovic said, according to Serbian media reports.

Vulin said:

“The policy of the Pristina authorities is the ethnic cleansing of Kosovo by the Serbs.”

He thanked Russia for its continued respect for Serbia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Analysis:

Petkovic’s and Vulin’s statements to Russian diplomats contribute to destabilizing the situation and stir up fear among Serbs in Kosovo, which complicates efforts to start a dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia.

On the other hand, the Russian Ambassador Bochan-Kharchenko and the Secretary of the Security Council of Russia regularly support this kind of disinformation by insisting on compliance with Resolution 1244.

Regarding the arrests claimed by Petkovic, the Kosovar authorities stated that they were due to a violation of the law.

The detained individuals are suspected of specific crimes, including violence in front of the Zveçan community, suggesting that the arrests are based on the law and not ethnicity.

Vulin’s claims that the Kosovo authorities are carrying out ethnic cleansing of Serbs are intended to create a negative image of Kosovo and promote international support for Serbia.

Vulin is known for similar accusations, which turned out to be mere propaganda.

In turn, Russian officials, including Shoigun, use similar claims of ethnic cleansing to support Serbian policy and put additional pressure on the international community.

Belgrade often uses these events to manipulate public opinion by portraying the Kosovo authorities as aggressors, even though the actions taken were in accordance with the law and without ethnic bias./The Geopost/