https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/greek-position-on-kosovos-independence-unchanged/
Though it aggravates the United States and even Brussels to no end, there are still multiple states within the European Union that refuse to recognize Kosovo as a state. It's telling just how much the media refuses to engage this issue because of course the Russian annexation of Crimea is effectively no different than what the US did with Kosovo in the late 1990's. In fact there's a much larger (and pernicious) story concerning the break-up of Yugoslavia and the American role in it that to this day is largely unknown.
The Serbs were demonised even while their Croat, Bosnian, Albanian, and Kosovar-Albanian opponents were given a pass or even promoted as patriots, freedom fighters, and heroes standing up for Western values. Over time the real story emerged and the past has caught up with some of these figures. And the passing of time also means that many of their one-time allies have moved on. I'm sure Hashim Thaçi, the former KLA leader and president of Kosovo feels rather betrayed as he now stands on trial for his war crimes. And yet the trial hasn't ended and the US is working to secure his acquittal. The truth is this man was a close US ally even while his organisation was involved in not just massacres, but in human and drug trafficking and what in other contexts would be considered terrorism.
Despite the whitewash of Yugoslavia's fragmentation and its larger geopolitical implications, the reasons for EU and NATO member's refusal to recognize Kosovo – often referred to as America's fifty-first state, are rooted in domestic and historical concerns.
The Slovaks as members of the V4 have at times been opposed to some of the prerogatives of the EU and NATO and they have their own concerns with regard to the notion of nations carving out new territories or enclaves. Their historical position is shaky as the creation of Czechoslovakia (at the conclusion of WWI) was a completely ahistorical and pragmatic move meant to create a bloc that would (it was hoped) block any resurgent Habsburg or Hungarian aspirations. The Habsburg threat is no longer on the table but tensions remain with Hungary – and have been exacerbated in recent years by the Orban regime. The Fico government refused to recognize Kosovo, and though Bratislava continues to careen back and forth in its political alignments, the policy remains – at least for the present.
Both Greece and Cyprus have refused to recognize Kosovo and the reasons for this are directly related to the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 and the creation of the North Cyprus Turkish Republic – a state only recognized by Ankara. Since they reject this kind of enclave creation in principle it would be inconsistent for Greek polities to recognize what the US and Albania did in Kosovo. There are also lingering issues with regard to the larger question of Macedonia – a fuzzy historical battleground at best.
The same is true with regard to Spain as it faces separatist movements in both the Basque region and Catalonia and as such Madrid has no wish to ratify what was done in the creation of Kosovo.
And perhaps to the confusion of some, Romania continues to refuse recognition even as Bucharest has become a zealous member of NATO and a facilitator of its militarism and expansion. Why then the resistance to Kosovo? The answer is found in history and geopolitics. Romania is downstream of Serbia with regard to the Danube which is essential to Bucharest's shipping and economic concerns. The government of Romania must remain on good terms with Belgrade and as such will only go so far in opposing them.
The real surprise to me is with regard to
Ireland. One would think the Republic would be less than keen to recognize the
legitimacy of a breakaway republic as it establishes precedent for an
independent Northern Ireland, but as with everything Ulster – it's complicated.
There are some Irish who want to see Northern Ireland integrated into the
Republic and others would be content to see it become an independent state – on
Irish soil but free of UK affiliations. The reality is that over time it would
integrate – a point the Unionists know all too well and as such they have largely
rejected the notion.
Some wonder if the indictment of men like
Thaçi will facilitate Belgrade's acquiescence to Kosovo's status and there is
an urgency to these questions as tensions continue to rise within the context
of Bosnia – as the 1995 settlement remains shaky. Both Washington and Brussels
are desperate to have a pro-Western government in Belgrade and undoubtedly it
is hoped that such a move will allow the Serbian public to 'close the book' on
Kosovo. Such thinking demonstrates a complete lack of understanding when it
comes to the Balkans and the role history has played. And these Western elites
also forget – the rest of the world sees the hypocrisy and in this case it also
discredits international organisations like the UN. While the Russian carve-out
of Crimea is condemned as a violation of international law, the US-instigated international
crime committed in Kosovo, and the accompanying war crimes carried out by NATO
air forces in 1999 – are ignored. The Serbs, Russians, and many others see this
even while the Western public does not and in many cases does not possess the
capacity to grasp such issues and realities.
For most of the public, the Balkans remain an
impossible riddle and the West and its media facilitators count on that fact as
it provides cover for their narratives – which often are rooted in and result
in contradictions and revisionism.
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