The Kosovo Crisis as a Destabilizing Factor of European Security

Abstract

The Republic of Kosovo is a kind of “node” of problems not only in the Balkans, but in Europe in general. The recognition of Kosovo’s independence laid the groundwork for the destabilization of European security. Today, Kosovo is recognized mainly by the democratic states of the world. These are the countries that currently support Ukraine. In the non-support camp are Serbia, Russia and its few allies such as Belarus, as well as China with its satellites. Although the Kosovo problem is not so clear. Among the countries that do not recognize Kosovo are a number of states (Spain, Romania, Greece, Slovakia), which are wary of the fact that the “Kosovo precedent” may contribute to separatist movements and create problems for them. 15 years have passed since the declaration of independence of Kosovo. However, Belgrade and Pristina function from crisis to crisis. Recently, the usual crises have become somewhat more intense and have made the world talk about the possibility of another war in Europe. Today, the geopolitical consequences of Kosovo’s declaration of independence look quite pessimistic. The representatives of the EU and the USA, understanding the consequences of their actions, are trying to resolve this conflict at any cost in order to demonstrate to the whole world that the situation is under control. Currently exerting pressure specifically on the government of Pristina, these actors are trying to finally achieve full political normalization between Kosovo and Belgrade so that there are no further ethnic tensions in the region and a constant aggravation of the situation in the north of the self-proclaimed republic. Time will tell whether it will give significant results. However, it is possible to at least reduce the tension between Serbia and Kosovo by weakening the manipulative actions on the relations of these countries by Russia. Funding. The work was supported by the European Commision under the Jean Monnet Module «The European Union’s Common Security and Defence Policy: challenges related to the War in Ukraine» (ESEDEP), № 101127823 — ESEDEP — ERASMUS-JMO-2023-HEI-TCH-RSCH.