U.S. Senator Chris Murphy called on Kosovo and Serbia to engage in de-escalating the situation in the Serb-majority inhabited municipalities in the northern part of Kosovo through organizing and holding new elections.
In an interview for the Serbian service of the Voice of America, Senator Murphy emphasizes that a series of measures such as holding new elections in the Serb-majority inhabited municipalities in the northern part of Kosovo, withdrawal of special units, and the release of detainees will lead to the reduction of tensions.
He also stressed that Serbia should encourage Serbian residents to participate in the elections and not interfere in the electoral process.
“If we go down the path of de-escalation, by withdrawing special police units and holding new elections, I think we have an opportunity to gradually steer the dialogue in the right direction,”
Senator Murphy said.
The United States, along with major European Union states, have increased their demands on Kosovo and Serbia to de-escalate the situation in the three northern municipalities of Kosovo, which recently turned into an arena of clashes between Kosovo Police forces, Serbian protesters, and NATO peacekeepers.
The situation escalated in the north after the elections held in April, which were boycotted by Serbs. Albanian mayors of the northern municipalities of Kosovo, opposed by Serbs, took office with the support of the police.
Senator Murphy emphasized that he would prefer the U.S. to take a more active role in de-escalating the situation in the region.
“I want us to confirm as soon as possible the Assistant Secretary for Europe, (James O’Brien), partly because the appointee of President Biden for this position has extensive experience in the region. We will soon have a confirmed high-ranking State Department official who knows Kosovo, knows Serbia, knows the region, and can support our embassy’s efforts and the work that Mr. Escobar is doing. We have a real opportunity for the U.S. to increase its engagement, as the new appointee of President Biden is a well-known name with experience in the region.”
Senator Murphy was also asked about the U.S. decision to sanction Serbian intelligence chief Aleksandar Vulin, a pro-Russian official close to Serbian President Vučić.
“If Serbia truly wants a future as part of Europe, they cannot have the intelligence chief engaged in open coordination with the Russians at this time. And we have made it clear not only to Serbia but to all our friends that there will be consequences if they choose not to join the sanctions, if they are involved in secret activities with the Russians. We want Serbia to be part of the Euro-Atlantic movement, we want them to have a European future,” he said.
Murphy said it is in Serbia’s interest to send the message that the Russian aggression in Ukraine cannot be tolerated.
However, former U.S. congressman and former chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Eliot Engel criticizes the State Department’s approach to the recent tensions between Serbia and Kosovo.
In an op-ed article published in Foreign Policy magazine on Tuesday, Engel writes that “the United States is pandering to Vučić, a semi-authoritarian bully and is, in turn, somewhat bullying Kosovo, putting pressure on the smaller and weaker country”.
“This stance does not serve the United States well, and it is time for a change,” says former Congressman Engel.
