Vučić on the arrest of Kurti's special forces

Vučić on the arrest of Kurti's special forces

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, spoke about the latest information from Kosovo and Metohija, after the arrest of members of the Kosovo police on the territory of Serbia.

He also spoke about the ban on the import of Serbian goods to Kosovo and Metohija.

"We are at the crossroads of whether we will continue to have peace or not. There is one man who wants to provoke war at any cost. I have always tried to look for the possibility of compromises with us. I am afraid that we have crossed the Rubicon and it will be very difficult to return to normality, for which Serbia will always do its best to make that happen. What actually happened?", Vučić began.

"We have had a total of six Serbs shot since the beginning of the year. Under Kurti's rule, not a single Albanian was shot anywhere. Nowhere, anywhere, in the territory of central Serbia did the Serbian police officers shoot any Albanians. This only happens to Serbs. And when someone talks about both sides in the international community, it is our duty to always point out to them what is really happening, and what it is, who is responsible for all of this. Don't forget that the whole crisis starts the moment someone makes a decision to go to the elections, for which they knew that they would be completely illegitimate, with a voter turnout of 3.4 percent in the entire north. And it is not enough for them that they were allowed to, say, in a Bosniak village in northern Mitrovica, appoint someone of their own, who does not represent anyone."

Meeting with representatives of Quint countries

Vučić then spoke about the meeting with Quint representatives.

"They just asked us to further de-escalate the situation. We ended that meeting. I had a very fair conversation with the NATO commander in Kosovo, Mr. Ristuccia. It is not easy to talk to him. He feels hurt because of the numerous injuries of his soldiers in Zvečan. He is a serious and responsible soldier. But he heard our arguments. I showed him the video, here it is, for you to see. He said: 'I know that video where Dušan Obrenović and Radaš Petrović are seen to have done nothing.' They are still in detention and their detention was extended yesterday or today. Do you know why it was extended? Because they were beaten, especially Dušan Obrenović."

"NATO says the man didn't do anything. Do you understand me? The man was arrested because of this. You all have to understand that. So, in what terror, in what madness are the Serbs living in Kosovo and Metohija. Okay, and when the KFOR general tells you that we know about that video, we don't, they all know it. You know what they tell you? They tell you, and we, through EULEX, are now monitoring it. For God's sake, don't monitor it anymore. You didn't write to me that you would monitor it through EULEX, but I guaranteed our people that they must have confidence in you and in us, and that you don't lie to me."

Three armed members of Kosovo special forces were arrested today in the territory of central Serbia in an operation by the Special Units of the Serbian Police.

"We have the right under Resolution 1244"

"I received information around one o'clock that we caught three people, that our members of special anti-terrorist units caught them there."

"First, let the people of Serbia know, since the people in the international community know it, the people from KFOR know. These people have nothing to look for in the area of Tresava, Batnik, without the approval of KFOR. They have nothing to look for, especially not with a long barrels. My first question, do you want to kill people with long barrels? Even if such a thing exists. My second question, did you inform the KFOR units that you were there? I will tell you that we have evidence, we have recorded conversations, we have video and audio material that proves that KFOR was not informed about all this."

"We arrested them. Not within a hundred meters. Because we have no right to enter according to Resolution 1244 and the Kumanovo Agreement, without NATO approval. And we respect that. I guarantee that not a single soldier of the Serbian Army and now you will see evidence, and a policeman, whether a member of the gendarmerie, special anti-terrorist units, did not cross the administrative line or as the latter would say, the border. For us, it is only the administrative line. No one. We arrest them 1.8 kilometers away from the administrative line."

"It is very far from Tresova Banja, where they left their car. At the same time, Kurti says 300 meters from the line. And what are you doing 300 meters from the line without notifying KFOR? And who gave you that right? And that when you say 'it's 300 meters', then we all know it's at least 300 meters on the other side. That's how far they went. And we arrest them 1.8 km away. They say, the Serbian army. Well, we have evidence, since KFOR knows the movements of the Serbian army. Now I will reveal to them part of our positions, since we are going to change them. Our army is stationed for the most part in the area, I am not saying where exactly, in the area of the town of Rudnica. Which is 5.1 km skyway away from the point where people were arrested. By air. But they need 19.8 km because you have to go through Raška because of the Ibar that intersects it."

"Our army is 20 km away from the place where it happened"

"So, our army was essentially 20 km away from the place where it happened. So much for the nonsense that Kurti is talking about that our army participated in something like that. It's easy for KFOR to check it and it's easy for everyone to see it. Therefore, neither the army nor the police, because you have satellite images, so you can see it," he explained.

"You cannot see that you are invading the territory of a sovereign country with such weapons. An investigation is being conducted. We are ready to provide all the data, all the evidence. And secondly, that you know the difference between a state and a quasi-state. We are a serious country and we treat these people in a serious way," he added.

"You get the answer to all that, it's Serbia, be careful, they are not the ones who entered the territory of central Serbia, but we are terrorists because we allegedly kidnapped them. No one crossed, not even a millimeter came close to the administrative line. And that tells you that someone literally wants to provoke conflicts at any cost. We have no problem with everyone showing us their satellite images, so that everything can be clearly seen whether our units crossed that line or not, police, how far they are, but KFOR already knows that. The people from KFOR already know that. And what do you expect next? Whether they will say it or not? That is another matter. But I know that they know. Today I met with the ambassadors of Quint and the ambassador of the European Union and with KFOR commander. I have another meeting in the morning."

"Kurti knew that secret negotiations were taking place in Brussels"

"Kurti knew that secret negotiations were taking place in Brussels this morning. He also wanted to provoke this morning. He wanted us to react badly and Serbia would be punished at the same second. He did all this because of that. Because he wants war and wants Serbia to be punished for something. Here's all the maps so you can see exactly where they were arrested, in what way, what's the distance, it's exactly measured 1.14 miles, 1,83 kilometers from the administrative line and so on. He provokes all the time because he wants war. Do you understand that you make the decision to say that we will not receive goods from Serbia as they say or from central Serbia as we say?" explained Vučić .

"I tell you, it's easiest for me to talk to their army. It's easiest for me to talk to the people of KFOR. And that conversation wasn't sweet at all. It was very difficult. But it's easiest for me to talk to them because you talk to them facts," he emphasized.

"They were expecting someone they were supposed to liquidate"

"Two key messages. I let them know that we did not participate in the escalation, on the contrary. Let us try to de-escalate in every way, to talk about it with KFOR, to shelter part of our forces in Vranje, Kraljevo, Niš, in every way, so that nobody feels threatened. Let's do it every time. But you can't when you have people who just want to make an incident every day. Every day. KFOR says don't bring that minister to Leposavic, they force him through there from the direction of Bajgora, Podujevo and I don't know which other places. To come there just to make incidents in Leposavic itself. They do the same in Zubin Potok, and who will live in Zubin Potok, there is not a single Albanian, go to Čabra, the Albanian place where you got those 300 votes. But they won't. They want to provoke. They want conflicts. Why should you arrest Lune?"

"And why did you bring these three people to the alternative crossing? To supposedly protect them for something? That's the job of KFOR. We have several doubts why they are doing it. And that's why the investigation is needed and we will get to it. Clearly, they were then expecting someone they were supposed to liquidate," he stressed.

"Today, the Ministry of Interior said in the first statement that it is a terrorist act. Certainly, when someone invades your territory with such a weapon, the territory controlled by your armed forces, you certainly have to look at it that way first of all. You know that they accuse the Serbs of a terrorist act when they throw a stone at them. And let them attack you with automatic rifles and pistols. Just keep that in mind. And it's possible that they had some more serious plans because we found some lists of Serbs. And that's what we're talking about, what I was talking about, so that they had certain information and that they were waiting for some people, whether because of liquidation or because of potential arrest, it is completely irrelevant. And it is absolutely unacceptable. And we have to pay attention and say that these people have nothing to do in the north of Kosovo and Metohija."

In the end, Vučić emphasized that we must be united and fight, and he is convinced that Serbs in Kosovo are fighting even though they are under great pressure.

"We have to endure all this terror," he concluded.