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The former US ambassador to Kosovo, Philip Kosnett, said that efforts to draw Serbia into the arms of the West instead of China and Russia have not yielded results, and according to him now is the time to start a new approach.
In an interview for "Euractiv", Kosnett stated that during the last 15-20 years of efforts to mediate agreements between Kosovo and Serbia, there was a kind of tendency to get frustrated with Kosovo and to treat it as a "child of undisciplined, who must do as he is told".
"Combined with the idea that Serbia is the most important in the region and we should put it in the European fold and not push it into the arms of Russia and China was not the wisest approach," he said .
The former US ambassador added that Serbia is the only country in Europe that has not joined Western sanctions against Russia since Moscow invaded Ukraine.
"I think that Serbia is clearly deeply embedded in the arms of Russia and China. So, whatever efforts the internationals have undertaken all these years to pull Belgrade towards the West have not yet shown any results" , said the former US ambassador.
Kossnett, a senior fellow for the transatlantic defense and security program at the Center for European Policy Analysis, went on to say that it is time for Europe and the West to be more realistic about this.
While Russia continues its efforts to actively destabilize the Western Balkans, Kossnett said it would be an important manifestation of European and Western solidarity to "recognize the reality that Kosovo exists" and the fact "that it is a state."
"I think this would be a good time for the USA and the European Union to make a strong appeal to the European countries that are members of NATO and that have not recognized Kosovo, to do so," he concluded . Kosnett.
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