Kurti: Putin might spread war beyond Ukraine
Prishtina, 18 March 2022 (MIA) — Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said that Russian President Vladimir Putin could spread the war beyond Ukraine, endangering the Western Balkans, MIA’s Prishtina correspondent writes.
Speaking at a news conference with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer on an official visit to Kosovo, Prime Minister Kurti said that “despite the threat to Kosovo and the region, the people are united and the alliances with the West, the United States and NATO, remain unbreakable.”
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18 March 2022, Kosovo, Pristina: Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti (L) meets with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer. Photo: Arno Melicharek/BKA/dpa[/caption]
According to the Kosovo PM, Putin did not want to negotiate with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky but with US President Joe Biden instead.
“To that end, I fear that Putin will intensify the war in Ukraine, but also spread it to other places, because he cannot sit down at the negotiating table to only talk about the Ukraine war,” Kurti said.
“The Western Balkans are in danger, even though there is already a hybrid war going on here. In Nish, there is a so-called Russian Humanitarian Center, which is full of Russian agents. Still, we are worried, but not scared,” he added.
Regarding current challenges arising from the Ukraine war, Chancellor Nehammer said he was aware of the problems between Kosovo and Serbia, but he said the two countries should look to the future.
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18 March 2022, Kosovo, Pristina: Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti (R) and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer attend a joint press conference. Photo: Arno Melicharek/BKA/dpa[/caption]
“We live in challenging times,” Nehammer said.
18 March 2022, Kosovo, Pristina: Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti (L) meets with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer. Photo: Arno Melicharek/BKA/dpa[/caption]
According to the Kosovo PM, Putin did not want to negotiate with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky but with US President Joe Biden instead.
“To that end, I fear that Putin will intensify the war in Ukraine, but also spread it to other places, because he cannot sit down at the negotiating table to only talk about the Ukraine war,” Kurti said.
“The Western Balkans are in danger, even though there is already a hybrid war going on here. In Nish, there is a so-called Russian Humanitarian Center, which is full of Russian agents. Still, we are worried, but not scared,” he added.
Regarding current challenges arising from the Ukraine war, Chancellor Nehammer said he was aware of the problems between Kosovo and Serbia, but he said the two countries should look to the future.
[caption id="attachment_1418401" align="alignnone" width="1024"] 18 March 2022, Kosovo, Pristina: Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti (R) and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer attend a joint press conference. Photo: Arno Melicharek/BKA/dpa[/caption]
“We live in challenging times,” Nehammer said.
“Fighting the pandemic has been one of the biggest tasks of our time. We also now have a war in Europe. The question arises what consequences it will have on us. Inflation, rising prices ... We all need to address this together, because we are friends. We shouldn’t abandon each other.” mr/
