Putin: Kosovo status quo better than unacceptable solution

If Kosovo declares independence, everything will depend on the West's reaction, Vladimir Putin said. The Russian president's statements were cited in the German daily Die Welt on Monday, in an op-ed published by the newspaper’s foreign affairs commentator Michael Stuermer, history professor at Erlangen University. Putin: Kosovo status quo better than unacceptable solution Stuermer was in a group of foreign experts and journalists that met with Putin over the weekend in Sochi. “If Kosovo Albanians unilaterally proclaim independence at the end of the year, what happens next will depend exclusively on the reaction of the western states. Cultural and economic support could be acceptable, but political recognition is something completely different,” said Putin. The German analyst notes that Putin “talked about Kosovo with reserve.” On the basis of the discussion in Sochi, Stuermer concluded that when it came to Kosovo’s status settlement, “Moscow expects the EU to make an appealing offer to Belgrade.” However, he remarked that Putin did not mention the new order of the post-Soviet region in light of the developments in Kosovo, as had been discussed at the G-8 summit of the eight leading industrial nations in Heiligendamm, Germany. “The Russian president made it clear that the state of uncertainty in Kosovo since 1999 is still better than an unacceptable solution,” Stuermer concluded. Vladimir Putin (FoNet) "Kostunica offers to be Russia's partner" Meanwhile, the German press also commented today on the anti-NATO stance officially adopted by Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica and his party, the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS). Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) says that “Kostunica has never been too keen on the West, as his heart beats to the rhythm of other principles – for example to those advocated by the Serbian Orthodox Church.” “But, thus far he has posed as a realist, never actually questioning Western integration as Serbia’s end goal,” the daily writes, noting “the popularity among many Serbs to have reservations about NATO and Serbia’s position there.” “However, when it comes to EU membership, the majority of Serbian people are in favor of it. But if Kostunica turned on the EU as well, the Bloc’s rating in Serbia might change too,” FAZ reports. “If that happens, Serbs will once again pay a high price for their insistence on ruling a piece of territory they lost long ago and never actually got back,” the influential conservative German daily concluded. The DPA agency noted that Kostunica, by his repellant attitude towards NATO, has moved the focus of Serbia’s foreign policy. “Until recently, both membership in NATO and the EU had been seen as Serbia’s goals. Over the past several months, Kostunica has offered to be Russia’s partner on more than one occasion,” the DPA alleges. The Sueddeutsche Zeitung daily, meanwhile, says that the prime minister, during the 1999 NATO bombing, was one of the rare politicians of Serbia’s so-called democratic bloc to pose side by side with Serbian fighters holding a Kalashnikov. The paper quotes Belgrade political analyst Dusan Pavlovic as saying that Kostunica is getting ready to lay the blame on the pro-Western Democratic Party (DS) for losing Kosovo. Vojislav Kostunica (FoNet)

Putin: Kosovo status quo better than unacceptable solution

Stuermer was in a group of foreign experts and journalists that met with Putin over the weekend in Sochi.

“If Kosovo Albanians unilaterally proclaim independence at the end of the year, what happens next will depend exclusively on the reaction of the western states. Cultural and economic support could be acceptable, but political recognition is something completely different,” said Putin.

The German analyst notes that Putin “talked about Kosovo with reserve.”

On the basis of the discussion in Sochi, Stuermer concluded that when it came to Kosovo’s status settlement, “Moscow expects the EU to make an appealing offer to Belgrade.”

However, he remarked that Putin did not mention the new order of the post-Soviet region in light of the developments in Kosovo, as had been discussed at the G-8 summit of the eight leading industrial nations in Heiligendamm, Germany.

“The Russian president made it clear that the state of uncertainty in Kosovo since 1999 is still better than an unacceptable solution,” Stuermer concluded.

"Koštunica offers to be Russia's partner"

Meanwhile, the German press also commented today on the anti-NATO stance officially adopted by Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica and his party, the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS).

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) says that “Koštunica has never been too keen on the West, as his heart beats to the rhythm of other principles – for example to those advocated by the Serbian Orthodox Church.”

“But, thus far he has posed as a realist, never actually questioning Western integration as Serbia’s end goal,” the daily writes, noting “the popularity among many Serbs to have reservations about NATO and Serbia’s position there.”

“However, when it comes to EU membership, the majority of Serbian people are in favor of it. But if Koštunica turned on the EU as well, the Bloc’s rating in Serbia might change too,” FAZ reports.

“If that happens, Serbs will once again pay a high price for their insistence on ruling a piece of territory they lost long ago and never actually got back,” the influential conservative German daily concluded.

The DPA agency noted that Koštunica, by his repellant attitude towards NATO, has moved the focus of Serbia’s foreign policy.

“Until recently, both membership in NATO and the EU had been seen as Serbia’s goals. Over the past several months, Koštunica has offered to be Russia’s partner on more than one occasion,” the DPA alleges.

The Sueddeutsche Zeitung daily, meanwhile, says that the prime minister, during the 1999 NATO bombing, was one of the rare politicians of Serbia’s so-called democratic bloc to pose side by side with Serbian fighters holding a Kalashnikov.

The paper quotes Belgrade political analyst Dušan Pavlović as saying that Koštunica is getting ready to lay the blame on the pro-Western Democratic Party (DS) for losing Kosovo.