The news that the Kosovo Police patrols will be armed with long barrels, that the USA has approved Kosovo's acquisition of Javelin anti-tank missiles, that Serbia is announcing the acquisition of combat vehicles, have again caused harsh statements by politicians.
For Police Minister Bratislava Gašić, the move by the Kosovo Police criminalizes Serbs in Kosovo, Foreign Minister Ivica Dacić says that Serbia has no intention of waging war, but if it wanted to - "Kosovo would not be helped by a million 'javelins'".
Analyst Dušan Janjić tells "Vreme" that this kind of rhetoric is primarily used internally, but that it currently suits all actors.
"Let me remind you that recently 'Politika' published an article on the front page about the preparation of the Serbian Armed Forces for some kind of new armed threat. So, when we talk about politicians from Belgrade, we are obviously talking about the continuation of propaganda activities that, by the decision of the National Security Council, started back in May, June 2022. And now it's 2024," says Janjić.
He adds that the current rhetoric undoubtedly has some internal political goals.
"Now there is talk again about hopelessness and armed conflicts, about the repetition of Banjska, and that comes in very handy when the government is technical, while trying to build a government on a legitimately problematic basis." Of course, this also comes in handy for the mobilization of shaken people in the institutions of Serbia," says Janjić.
Good for Kurti too
Also, all this suits the officials of Pristina.
"Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, in a situation where the decision on the plates is delivered as an implementation of the agreement on the way to the normalization of relations, creates a winning atmosphere. He managed to create an atmosphere in which he showed his public that police control of the north of Kosovo was carried out, which is true. That military moment that is being achieved now is missing. It all suits him on the internal political level because the elections in Kosovo are coming up".
Janjić reminds that there is also a third player who is an interested party.
"We have KFOR, which is NATO. After Banjska, by the decision of the Government of Serbia and the invitation of the President of Serbia, KFOR was given responsibility for the security of the Serbs in the north of Kosovo. And that is important to him because of the extension of his mandate," says Janjić.
Is there a real danger?
Military analyst Aleksandar Radić also sees that the state leadership's statements about the alleged threat are for internal use and adds that it is questionable whether there is a real potential for radicalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina.
"How much for the purposes of creating an image of how the nation is threatened and how there is someone to take care of them, of course the ruling party," Radić told N1. "And those people have their own image and opportunity in Pristina." They work there exactly the same. By creating the idea that we are endangering each other, we are actually ruling".
