{"id":14335,"date":"2026-05-05T12:30:42","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T10:30:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sbunker.org\/?p=14335"},"modified":"2026-05-08T11:37:18","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T09:37:18","slug":"intervista-e-lojes-se-fajesimit-e-aleksandar-vuciqit-ne-pervjetorin-e-marreveshjes-se-brukselit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sbunker.org\/en\/analize\/intervista-e-lojes-se-fajesimit-e-aleksandar-vuciqit-ne-pervjetorin-e-marreveshjes-se-brukselit\/","title":{"rendered":"Aleksandar Vucic\u2019s Blame Game Interview on the Anniversary of the Brussels Agreement"},"content":{"rendered":"

April 19, 2026, marked the 13th anniversary of the EU-led Brussels Agreement (Agreement on Principles Governing the Normalization of Relations<\/em>). However, Kosovo and Serbia still have not normalized their relations.<\/p>\n

On this occasion, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic gave an exclusive interview<\/a> to one of the most widely followed Serbian language media outlets in the north of Kosovo.<\/p>\n

Notably, this was the first time Vucic granted an exclusive interview to Kosovo Online, despite the outlet\u2019s generally pro government editorial stance in Serbia. Equally striking is that the interview was not widely picked up or amplified by other media, which is typically the case with Vucic\u2019s public appearances.<\/p>\n

This suggests that the interview may have been aimed less at the domestic audience and more at signaling to the international community.<\/p>\n

This interview shows two key points about Vucic\u2019s approach to the normalization process. First, it is aimed more at Western governments and the EU than at Kosovo Serbs, suggesting an effort to shape how Serbia\u2019s role is seen internationally. Second, it criticizes the EU by blaming it for the lack of progress in the Dialogue and presenting it as responsible for the stagnation in the process.<\/p>\n

Reasserting Serbia\u2019s Commitment, Shifting Blame to the EU <\/strong><\/h3>\n

Vucic started his remarks<\/a> by defending Serbia\u2019s position stating Serbia has been implementing the Brussels Agreement in a good faith, that Serbia abides to the Brussels Agreement in the same manner it respects the Dayton Agreement in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and that the EU is a guarantor of the agreement.<\/p>\n

The opening statement is particularly important.<\/p>\n

Although the Serbian government has shown limited readiness to engage substantively in the Dialogue over the past three years, including withholding full endorsement of the Ohrid Agreement, Vucic now seeks to underscore Serbia\u2019s commitment to the normalization process and to international agreements.<\/p>\n

At the same time, he lays the groundwork to shift responsibility onto other actors, including Western governments and the EU.<\/p>\n

The Association\/Community of Serb-Majority Municipalities remains a critical issue<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Vucic went on to note that there have been 245 meetings over the past 13 years, 38 of them at the highest political level. He also stated that six out of the ten points of the Brussels Agreement remain unimplemented to this day.<\/p>\n

He emphasized that all six of them concern the Community of Serb Municipalities<\/em>, deliberately using this formulation instead of the Association of Serb Majority Municipalities.<\/em> While this may appear to be a minor detail, it is significant in the broader battle of narratives.<\/p>\n

Both terms, Association<\/em> and Community<\/em>, appear in the Brussels Agreement, yet Pristina tends to favor \u201cAssociation<\/em>,\u201d whereas Belgrade consistently opts for \u201cCommunity<\/em>.\u201d The distinction is not merely terminological but carries substantive implications and warrants separate analysis<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Vucic concludes this part of the interview by claiming that the EU has misled him and that the Community of Serb Municipalities will not be established.<\/p>\n

In the Second Part of the Interview, Blame Shifts Beyond the EU<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Vucic said the Dialogue\u2019s ultimate goal is Serbia\u2019s de facto<\/em> recognition of Kosovo. The remarks are mainly directed at the EU, aiming to provoke a response and criticize what he frames as its inability or unwillingness to react to developments on the ground in Kosovo.<\/p>\n

He referred to recent changes involving Serbian health institutions in Kosovo, claiming that \u201cthe West is quietly allowing the integration of health and education into the Kosovo system<\/em>,\u201d despite this being \u201cdirectly contrary to the letter and spirit of the Brussels Agreement<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vucic also invoked UN Security Council Resolution 1244, noting that it remains in force, and referenced the territorial integrity of Ukraine and Greenland without clarifying the point.<\/p>\n

He further cited alleged security concerns regarding a \u201cmilitary alliance<\/a>\u201d between Pristina, Tirana, and Zagreb, despite these being described by the parties involved as military cooperation. He also accused Albin Kurti of not meaningfully engaging in the Dialogue and of \u201cyearning for a war role<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vucic\u2019s final message: Serbia\u2019s position on Kosovo will not change after him<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In the final section of the interview, Vucic said, \u201cwe know all their tricks, but we also know the distribution of power and strength<\/em>,\u201d describing the current period as one of \u201chypocrisy and lies<\/em>\u201d that \u201cwill not last for too long<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Furthermore, he added, \u201cwe are turning to Americans<\/em>,\u201d sending a dual message: criticism of the EU for failure in the process and a signal to the U.S. to test its response. It remains unclear whether this indicates a policy shift or a tactical move toward the EU, which he portrays as geopolitically vulnerable.<\/p>\n

He also stated that Kosovo\u2019s independence will never be recognized by any future Serbian government, regardless of external pressure, aiming to signal continuity in Serbia\u2019s position and discourage expectations that a change of leadership in Belgrade would alter its stance.<\/p>\n

A Timed Counterattack Against the EU<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Vucic decision to dedicate an entire interview to blaming the EU is closely linked to timing. It functions as a counterattack against the EU, particularly in the context of a possible decision to freeze \u20ac1.5 billion<\/a> in funding due to democratic backsliding.<\/p>\n

At the same time, the statement forms the core of his broader argument by shifting responsibility onto the EU while signaling Serbia\u2019s response. This serves a dual purpose: preparing the domestic audience for potential developments and deflecting criticism of Serbia\u2019s own negotiating position.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, the timing and framing of the interview suggest a possible shift in Serbia\u2019s approach to EU relations and the broader normalization process, alongside outreach to the U.S. to test its response.<\/p>\n

Overall, Vucic\u2019s interview shifts responsibility for the stalled normalization process to the EU and other Western actors, while presenting Serbia as acting in good faith. It combines a firm stance on Kosovo\u2019s status with signals toward the U.S., suggesting a possible recalibration of Serbia\u2019s external positioning.<\/p>\n

Timed around the Brussels Agreement anniversary, it functions as a coordinated message responding to renewed EU pressure.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

M\u00eb 19 prill 2026 u sh\u00ebnua p\u00ebrvjetori i 13-t\u00eb i Marr\u00ebveshjes s\u00eb Brukselit, t\u00eb udh\u00ebhequr nga BE-ja (Marr\u00ebveshja mbi parimet q\u00eb rregullojn\u00eb normalizimin e marr\u00ebdh\u00ebnieve). Megjithat\u00eb, Kosova dhe Serbia akoma nuk i kan\u00eb normalizuar marr\u00ebdh\u00ebniet midis tyre. Me k\u00ebt\u00eb rast, presidenti i Serbis\u00eb, Aleksandar Vu\u00e7iq, dha nj\u00eb intervist\u00eb ekskluzive p\u00ebr nj\u00eb nga mediat m\u00eb t\u00eb […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":14336,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[1043,972,2496,971,1057],"ppma_author":[25],"class_list":["post-14335","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-analize","tag-be","tag-kosove","tag-marreveshja-e-brukselit","tag-serbi","tag-vucic"],"authors":[{"term_id":25,"user_id":15,"is_guest":0,"slug":"milos-pavkovic","display_name":"Milo\u0161 Pavkovi\u0107","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/sbunker.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/MP_cropped-150x150-1.jpg","url2x":"https:\/\/sbunker.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/MP_cropped-150x150-1.jpg"},"user_url":"","last_name":"Pavkovi\u0107","first_name":"Milo\u0161","description":"Milo\u0161 Pavkovi\u0107 \u00ebsht\u00eb nj\u00eb shkenc\u00ebtar politik me specializim n\u00eb rajonin e Evrop\u00ebs Juglindore, politik\u00ebn krahasuese, regjimet hibride dhe politik\u00ebn e BE-s\u00eb. Studimet bachelor dhe master p\u00ebr shkenca politike i kreu n\u00eb Universitetin e Beogradit. Ai kaloi nj\u00eb vit n\u00eb Universitetin e Grazit si student n\u00eb Erasmus dhe mbrojti tez\u00ebn e magjistratur\u00ebs (De)konsolidimi i shtet\u00ebsis\u00eb s\u00eb Kosov\u00ebs n\u00eb kontekstin e negociatave bashk\u00ebkohore nd\u00ebrmjet Qeverive t\u00eb Kosov\u00ebs* dhe Serbis\u00eb. Ai kreu masterin e dyt\u00eb n\u00eb shkencat politike n\u00eb Universitetin e Evrop\u00ebs Qendrore (CEU). Ai \u00ebsht\u00eb bashk\u00ebautor i publikimit Elementet kryesore t\u00eb nevojshme p\u00ebr p\u00ebrparimin n\u00eb normalizimin e marr\u00ebdh\u00ebnieve nd\u00ebrmjet Kosov\u00ebs dhe Serbis\u00eb. Milo\u0161 aktualisht \u00ebsht\u00eb i pun\u00ebsuar si studiues n\u00eb Qendr\u00ebn e Politikave Evropiane (CEP), Beograd dhe sh\u00ebrben si Ambasador i Ri i Evrop\u00ebs n\u00eb Ballkanin Per\u00ebndimor."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sbunker.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14335","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sbunker.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sbunker.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sbunker.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sbunker.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14335"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/sbunker.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14335\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14365,"href":"https:\/\/sbunker.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14335\/revisions\/14365"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sbunker.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14336"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sbunker.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14335"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sbunker.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14335"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sbunker.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14335"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sbunker.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=14335"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}