So, back to the Balkans this week. And a perennial problem that has, frankly, gone on far too long: Kosovo-Serbia. There's been a lot of speculation that the EU and United States has put forward a new proposal for Serbia and Kosovo. But is this something we should take seriously? And what about trying to get a grand settlement instead? As always, do let me know your thoughts and comments below. And please do take a look at World Politics Review and its great special offer for channel viewers. Their support really does help the channel. Thank you so much. www.wpr.pub/jkl

@Tmb1112

Жыл бұрын

First time I’ve heard the history of Kosovo so thoroughly. I learned a lot. Thanks for this!

@QuizmasterLaw

Жыл бұрын

peace in Kosovo and Serbia will be a function of how tied up Russia is in Ukraine. The worse it goes for Russia in Ukraine, the less Russia will be able to provoke and incite conflicts in Kosovo and Serbia.

@ioanD

Жыл бұрын

Aveți un stil dificil și împrăștiat de prezentare, care dovedește lipsa dumneavoastră de claritate și înțelegere a situațiilor, același stil detailist ca al tuturor primitivilor de proveniență nordică.

@QuizmasterLaw

Жыл бұрын

Was more accurate and informative than I expected. Good job, really well done!

@masterblaster848

Жыл бұрын

Professor, great lecture as always, but I have to say: USA worked actively as Albanian great ally and patron. USA was breaking for years serbian resistance asking from every Serb goverment from Djindjic, Tadić to very Vučić to give a bit more to Kosovo. It is Vučić that gave away more than any other. Now he is asked to give what was left and that is recognition or Will be replaced by another american puppet that Will give what is asked. We must not forget albanian ethnic cleansing of Serbs and nonAlbanians in 1999. Terror of Albanian rule to this very day proves that Serb can't be governed by Albanians. Also, no country was asked this much for so little as Serbia. We can never forget and forgive crimes of Nato aggression and genocide on Serbs. USA led crusade against Serbs in Balkans 1991-1999. It take 100 years or whole one generation to be forgiven, but not forgotten. So, it will take a lot of time for Serbia to accept of it ever does. Hungarians speak same about Trianon. To remind you Kosovo&Metohija is Serbia "Jerusalem".

It's incredible how you present all these complex issues in such an objective and easy to understand way. Thank you once again for your analysis.

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

Thank you! :-)

@annai6393

Жыл бұрын

LOL. It is not incredible; he just made a bunch of things up! Ilyria was a province of the Roman Empire; the name given to a wilderness, so to say, even by Ancient Greeks, a kingdom never existed, nor was Dardania a kingdom center. Utter rubbish. Othering, Balkanism, and horrible twisting of any facts.

@Spacemongerr

11 ай бұрын

​@@annai6393Dardania was a kingdom for 300 years before the Romans conquered the region. There is a lot of historical evidence for this, how can you just dismiss it? The professor did not say Illyria was a kingdom. But rather that Dardania was a kingdom in the region of Illyria, and that the region we today call Kosovo was in or near the center of the Kingdom of Dardania. The region had been called Illyria by the Greeks for centuries before the Romans conquered it and named their province after the Greek name. This is well documented. Your comment is a mess of falsely misrepresenting things he did not say, and muddying the waters by bringing in the Roman province which was created centuries later. The facts you state are true - but nothing you wrote is contrary to what is said in the video. Yet you pretend it is, and you do so in a needlessly provocative manner. Why? By the way, what is this "othering" you speak of, who is being othered?

Western Sahara deserves fully recognized independence.

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

I fully agree.

@rodrigoadrianrodriguezaedo4477

Жыл бұрын

Unfortunately, if the referendum Morocco has been postponing for decades takes place now, the most likely thing is that the option of being part of Morocco, since the aforementioned country has been sending Moroccan settlers for decades.

@alinoor6515

Жыл бұрын

Ogaden from Eithiopia deserves recognition from world powers.

@slickrick2420

Жыл бұрын

@@alinoor6515 Somaliland deserves it more

Good video, but the biggest compliment goes to you for saying that Serbian people see actions of West as hypocritical and unfair. Most of analysis which I saw don't mention the view of average Serbian citizen and it's key to understand Serbia's position.

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

Thanks. It is indeed a really important element that is often ignored. I think a lot of this is about injured pride, and rightly so. But I also think people in Serbia need to look at the big political picture. Trying to reintegrate Kosovo would be economically, politically and socially disastrous for the country.

@dzonikg28

Жыл бұрын

@@JamesKerLindsay Same as Ukraine integrating 8 milion Russians.. Still west does not spare weapons for it.

@freespiritable

Жыл бұрын

The west has been hypocritical with Albanians not Serbs. Dividing the nation then refusing Kosovo's independence. Serbs have been only pampered. The West only intervened after they butchered half the Balkan.

Professor, you did a great job covering this topic so much so that I feel the need to thank you, truly. I am a Serb and so I naturally must have my biasis when it comes to the subject of Kosovo but one cannot but appreciate the lenghts You went to do this topic justice. Amazing work!

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much Jovan. I really appreciate the kind comment. I just hope a settlement can be found.

@annai6393

Жыл бұрын

He did not. He invented an Illyrian/Dardanian kingdom? It does not exist, it never did.

@arrore

Жыл бұрын

@@annai6393 Of course it did. But Serbs wouldn’t know about this, obviously since they only appear in Kosovo in the 11th century. ;) Dardanian Illyrians for life. 👐

@annai6393

Жыл бұрын

@@arrore LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL.

@tombuddy100

Жыл бұрын

@@arrore So, are you Dardanians, Illyrians, Albanians, or Shqiptarët?

This is soo well put together. For the first time I agree with everything being said here. Not a single sentence was said where i was thinking "do i agree with it?". I wish in the future we can resolve this issue and try to get along.

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

Thanks so much Nikola. That means a lot to me given the interesting conversations we have had. Let's hope something can be done. This issue really is doing enormous damage to Kosovo and Serbia.

@serbianwarrior385

7 ай бұрын

​@@JamesKerLindsayTo Serbia and its south region of Kosovo* There that how u should say it

The possible outcome is if Serbia recognizes Kosovo, they can push for self-determination for Republika Srpska in Bosnia

@bilic8094

Жыл бұрын

Serbia won't recognize so called kosovo people are already taking to the streets to let the president know it's not his to give away.

@MB-sh3dz

Жыл бұрын

Rs will never be a country. Just not possible, it can only cause another war.

@jjj6988

Жыл бұрын

@M B self-determination doesnt equals independence

@serbianwarrior385

7 ай бұрын

Republika Srpska already has autonomy for like 25 years now😂

Would you consider making another video on Turkey more specifically on how the recent earthquake could be the tipping point the opposition needed to overcome Erdogan in the country's upcoming elections?

Is the security council still relevant? If every vote is vetoed by one of the sides, is it surprising that a unilateral action is taken at this point. I’d love a video with your insights into the importance and relevance of the UN Security Council in 2023

@milostomic8539

Жыл бұрын

It is relevant.All 5 permanent members of the Security Council must approve application for membership. In this case, Russia and possibly China would use veto power.

@kostam.1113

Жыл бұрын

It's actually really good that there is so much disagreement since it's means that there is diversity of views

@user-cx9nc4pj8w

Жыл бұрын

@@kostam.1113 Maybe in regards to the complicated situation in the Balkans, but when one the permanent members is literally fascist I don't think so.

@kostam.1113

Жыл бұрын

@@user-cx9nc4pj8w There are no fascist permanent members Russia is authoritarian China is communist dictatorship France, USA and UK are flawed democracies at best...

@abhabh6896

Жыл бұрын

@雷 Anericans can be like that sometimes, depending on the government

Hey Prof. Great video. Very balanced perspective on a very complex issue. Being Serbian, you are correct there is plenty of resentment regarding Kosovo and the civil wars that engulfed Yugoslavia. It’s a very emotional topic. The perspective held in my circle of friends is that this is another hoop for Serbia to jump through. They don’t believe in eventual integration with EU and even if there was a promise the price is too high to pay. The price where Serbia is loosing a significant percentage of it’s territory, being humiliated and not to mention Kosovo’s vast deposits of natural resources. After being under Ottoman occupation with the loss of independence for 500 years, they see this as a form of neo colonisation with the presence of double standards in the region and resist it. The current unrest in Ukraine, I believe in part can be source what happened to Serbia regarding Kosovo. Either way, the impression is that with the likely hood of progression to a multipolar system, Serbia’s negotiating position could be improved with the pending change in geopolitics. Either way, above all in my circle of friends is for all people to respect each other (culture, religion and state borders) and to live in harmony with the acknowledgement of the past done to each other through the centuries. I look forward to view more topics on your channel.

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much! I can completely understand why people in Serbia feel so disillusioned. The EU isn’t showing the commitment it needs to at the moment. (France has of course led this cooling towards enlargement.) on the resources argument, I hear this a lot from Kosovo and Serbia. But the truth is that there doesn’t seem to be much there. If there was, there would be a lot more activity. Overall, I just think it’s time fur a final settlement if this issue. I always preferred the land swap idea. But this was killed off by Britain and Germany.

@kingpunz

Жыл бұрын

Under ottoman occupation for 500 years. Followed by serbian occupation for 100 years. Finally headed towards freedom for the natives.

@abhabh6896

Жыл бұрын

@@kingpunz I will not argue with you, I will just wait for the fighting to start. Can win with a pen against an illiterate person.

@soul8938

Жыл бұрын

@@kingpunz very well said, his standpoint shows the very egocentric worldview he has

@N.a.t.t

Жыл бұрын

@@kingpunz 200 Years of Serbian occupation, 500 years of ottoman, 100 years of Serbian again. And we still has our language 💪🏼

Thank you for another great video.

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

Thank you very much indeed!

Guys, I know this might not be the place, but i have no clue where else to ask, I am a student of international relations and am moving to the UK to finish my masters. How are the job prospects in this field in UK or otherwise in larger world.. it would be really helpful if someone from Europe can give me a clue thanks and great video professor as always.

I have ordered “Secession and State Creation”. Have to wait until mid-March for it to arrive unfortunately 😢. I really look forward to getting a more in-depth view of your knowledge. You have a real bunch of fans within my family!

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much Peter! That’s great. I do hope you enjoy the book. And I’m delighted to hear that the videos are going down well with your family. Do say hello to them! :-)

@peterkops6431

Жыл бұрын

@@JamesKerLindsay will do!

Great video as always Professor! already can't wait for next week's

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

Thanks. I’m planning one of my occasional Q&A videos. I always like doing them. A little less formal. :-)

Good video as always. Though I want to note that the failure to recognize Kurdistan has been the shortcoming of multiple countries long before TE Lawrence was lobbying for it and should be used as a cautionary tale rather than a precedent. Not wanting Bosnia's political hell seems to me like the only concern worth taking seriously. While it's important to hear and to note Serbian concerns, it's often just another glass bottle.

As I have told you on a number of occasions, dear James, and i now I am going through a few videos I have missed so far, I absolutely love your production because it is to-the-point, with videos being of just about the right length and as informative as they can get.

@JamesKerLindsay

9 ай бұрын

Thank you so much Vladimir! I really and truly appreciate it. :-) I have had to take a but of a break recently with the move. But hoping to get back into things now. I hope you are keeping well.

@vladadjo

9 ай бұрын

Yup, all well here, I hope with you as well. Keep up the great work you are doing!@@JamesKerLindsay

@JamesKerLindsay

9 ай бұрын

Great stuff! We’ll be in touch soon. :-)

Serbia is too far away from joining EU for them to see it as incentive to recognize Kosovo. Losing investments is something that has greater influence but that would also mean for EU to set Serbia on a sure pathway towards Russia. Which EU, themselves do not wish as well.

@aalldldakekjs8981

Жыл бұрын

Russia has no powere serbia is surrounded by nato members and powers linking up with russia would be a surefire way to completely ruining the country

@bilic8094

Жыл бұрын

That's only vucic panicking about losing investments he shouldn't of brought in German investments in the first place we all know they will always use it as leverage against Belgrade.

@joeyjojojrshabadoo7462

Жыл бұрын

Might as well tried to offer Russia and Ukraine joint NATO membership. Interesting proposal that maybe could have worked if it was still the early 1990s.

Great work with the video James. You’ve presented the issues in a clear and succinct way. Keep up the great work.

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

Thank you. I know a lot if people don’t be happy with this - on both sides. But it’s time they both started listening to each other and understanding how Kosovo needs to balance international law with practical political realities. This has gone on too long.

Excellent analysis and history. Thank you!

@JamesKerLindsay

8 ай бұрын

Thank you very much. Really appreciated.

Wow, as I Serb I find your analysis surprising objective and reasonable! No easy task considering the complexities and the extreme anti Serb bias that's out there. Well done! 👍

@bunnylarese2161

Жыл бұрын

Why is it ok for Kosovo to leave Serbia, but Srpska can’t leave Bosnia?

@pbubalo

Жыл бұрын

@@bunnylarese2161 Exactly! Its hypocrisy and double standards

@you_can_change_alias

Жыл бұрын

Not everyone is against the Serbs. For hundreds of years, we still haven't managed to argue.🇷🇴🤝🇸🇰

@bestarkrasniqi5072

Жыл бұрын

@@bunnylarese2161 the world is not that simple that is why. Kosovo's history is completely different from the short history of Republika Srpska. You can read more to understand how Srpska appeared(after the genocide) and what is the history of Kosovo and its population.

@tompeled6193

Жыл бұрын

@@bunnylarese2161 Because of Serbian war crimes in the 90s.

Very informative video, thank you. But I have been taught that the recognition once made cannot be withdrawn. Is that true?

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

It is complex. One school of thought says this. But this isn’t the case. What you can’t really do is withdrew recognition and have nothing replace it. So, a state can’t really say that it recognises country x, but now it doesn’t accept any authority over the territory in question. (But even then, while it seems illogical to withdraw all recognition, I’m not sure it is strictly illegal.) But it is perfectly possible to say that it no longer recognises a territory as being under the territory of one country but instead recognises the authority of another sovereign state. And, remember, recognition is a sovereign act. States have full rights to choose which authority to recognise, when, where and how. So countries re-recognising Serbia’s sovereignty over Kosovo is perfectly legal and legitimate - in the same way that recognising states would say their decision to recognise Kosovo is perfectly legal and legitimate. (Although it could be argued that it violates the Un Charter’s requirement to respect the territorial integrity of other states - another question for another day.)

James do you agree republic of sprska should get independence if kosovo gets its independence?I think this could be a good solution for all problems in Balkans

@merxho95

Жыл бұрын

No because thats against the Dayton Agreement which the Serbs signed aswell.

@3ndrei

Жыл бұрын

@@merxho95and kosovo independence is against international law. So can’t have both

@greatwolf5372

Жыл бұрын

@Andrei C At the end of the day international laws are just suggestion. Might makes right. US has thousands of troops next door to Serbia and Serbia trades mostly with the EU. US and EU will get what they want regardless of right, wrong or hypocrisy.

@merxho95

Жыл бұрын

@@3ndrei The international court of justice thinks otherwise.

@lovetohate028

Жыл бұрын

@@merxho95 then the court is biased and should be ignored

Good vid. We'll see if Russia and China accept Kosovo's UN memebership though as they have their own motivations for denying it. An understanding that they won't regardless could be the reason why Vucic would consider potentially committing political suicide (and frankly it wasn't that long ago literal assassinations were much more common in Serbian politics)

@milostomic8539

Жыл бұрын

They won't accept it.

@stevet5785

Жыл бұрын

@@milostomic8539 We can only hope. And then we can say that the Chinese and Russians are bigger Serbs than the Serbian leadership itself. I am still shocked at how many Serbs don't see that Vucic is a traitor and western lapdog...

@milostomic8539

Жыл бұрын

@@stevet5785 And potentially president/prime minister for life.

@bilic8094

Жыл бұрын

Russia and China are good friends of Serbia they'll never do anything against the country.

Great explainer, thanks.

Are you going to cover Moldova's recent government resignation and the possibility of a pro-Russia government being elected.

Wonderful analysis, Professor Jim! I have order your new book last year, it hasn't arrives yet. Thanks you Prof.

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much. That’s really kind of you. I really hope you enjoy the book. It should be available soon.

Why don’t they give up the land where Serbs live in Kosovo in exchange for independence? Maybe they could join Albania later

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

Thanks. This is actually an idea I have long supported. But many Western countries (especially Britain and Germany) oppose this for reasons that don’t make a lot of sense.

@garedmorort

Жыл бұрын

@@JamesKerLindsay Thanks for the reply! Perhaps they want to avoid them joining Albania and create another conflict with Serbia so to act as a buffer state

On spot. Good job 👍

Why don't they move the border? If the northern area is majority Serbian ..?! (Genuine question from an outsider who knows very little)

@nervachadikus

Жыл бұрын

Because only half of the Serbs live in the north. There are also things like the Serbian cultural heritage in Kosovo that includes hundreds of monasteries, churches, monuments, etc. (As a Serb, the cultural importance of Kosovo and Metohija is unimaginable, like Mecca/Medina for Muslims or Jerusalem for Jews, but besides the religious significance your peoples entire history is based on it). Redrawing borders according to ethnic lines also creates new problems for the region because there are still A LOT of Serbs that aren't a part of Serbia. If this were to happen Bosnia would definitely be split in half (Leaders of the Republika Srpska actually constantly issue threats that, if Kosovo is accepted into the UN, Srpska will declare independence from Bosnia and then you have a second Bosnian war).

@afrimlargimi16382

Жыл бұрын

It was made an idea for territorial exchange, but that didnt go well, since for Serbia that would mean changing territories with a state that they consider Serbia, and Kosovo's political class didnt wanted since that would have break the serious statehood of Kosovo, and would make it seem as a country who exchange territories as many times as it comes as a plan. Mostly it was shut down by Albanian political class. Me as an Albanian saw this plan as a great deal.

@sOnIcBo0mBoY

Жыл бұрын

@@afrimlargimi16382 Thnx .. what the world needs right now is a some compromise. Political classes don't feel the pain.

Dude Kosovo was not conqered by Serbia in 1389, it was acctually defended of Ottoman invasion. For almost 6 centuries before Kosovo battle it was a part of Serbia.

@dzonikg28

Жыл бұрын

Westerner and their lie.. They thing 10000 times repeated lie will became the truth

Once again I’m astonished by your neutral and fact based analysis. If politicians on either of the side would share this rational logic, the conflict would be solved within a finger’s snap.

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

Thanks a lot Niels. I really do believe this can solved. But there is obviously a lot of emotion tied up with it.

@serbianwarrior385

7 ай бұрын

U dont know what u talking about, this is too deep to be solved in short time.

I never thought I'd see a statue of Clinton. Until i visited Kosovo. I wanted to push it down lol

This is such a great video on an extremely vexed topic.

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

Thanks so much. It will be interesting to see how the EU-US proposal plays out. It is meeting a lot of resistance. But I’m not sure either Kosovo or Serbia can really afford to reject it.

Excellent analysis, professor!

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

Thank you very much. I know how sensitive it is, but I think we do need to have some honest conversations about this situation - in Belgrade, Pristina and in many international capitals.

While many see Vuvic as a hard nationalist, he IS actually a pretty practical man in the end. He does not want to close the doors to the EU and the west even if he has to talk hard to keep his voter base.

@milostomic8539

Жыл бұрын

He's neither a hard nationalist nor a practical man. Vucic is a blackmailed man.

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

@ParempiJallu I would actually agree.

@serbianwarrior385

Жыл бұрын

Vučić is biggest traitor in Serbian history

Being half Yugoslav myself and well-travelled in the region, I have to tell you that these countries are very poor. I was in Serbia and Bosnia two months ago. We saw deserted villages, particularly in Bosnia, and there is emigration to Western Europe from every region of the old Yugoslavia. Tito evidently held together the impossible country, but I think that there was prosperity in unity.

What a spot on look. Your brought up Dardanians. Wow. Beyond words regarding your knowledge. Never seen a channel going so deep. Keep up the good work.

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much. Yes, it is an interesting element of the story that is often missed out. Kosovo does have a very long and fascinating history.

@Nista357

Жыл бұрын

Dardanians 🤣🤣

@dzonikg28

Жыл бұрын

Albanians are Dardanians like you say Macedonians descent from Aleksandar Makedonsky

as a Serb I have to say the only YT channel that managed to tackle Belgrade-Pristinas Gordian knot without bias... Respect.

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much Marko! I really appreciate it. I know that lots of viewers won’t be happy, but hopefully I fairly and accurately outlined the problem.

Let's be honest and not make a lot of assumption about this one, the reason why Kosovo is getting their independence is because NATO want to pressure Russia and Serbia.

@jasminj5530

Жыл бұрын

and the alternative is what? genocide? ethnic cleansing?

@bingo737

Жыл бұрын

@@jasminj5530 You just demonised an entire nation. Congrats

@jasminj5530

Жыл бұрын

@@bingo737 War is not about individuals. It takes a nation to star 3 wars in a few years (well 4 to be exact).

@bingo737

Жыл бұрын

​@@jasminj5530 I am literally drowning in your ignorance.

@bestarkrasniqi5072

Жыл бұрын

Kosovo got its independence 15 years ago NOT NOW. Its institutions are fully functional and Serbia doesn't have presence in Kosovo territory for the last 24 years now

James -are you insinuating , that ''balkanisation of the situation'' will be a term of the past ? ?

Excellent work, Professor!

People seem to forget about a few really important points - there were around 300 racially fueled incidents just in the last year in Kosmet, there are Serbs living south of Ibar as well, and Albanians tend to not only revise history by destroying traces of hundreds of years of Serbian presence in the region but monasteries and churches (and there’s a lot of them there) will be targeted the second that they get their hands on them. Even if Serbia was willing to consider to approve of just losing a big part of it’s territory in order to receive absolutely nothing for it (because it will never be enough) what guarantees does it have that its people as well as its cultural heritage will be intact? While this analysis is really well put and objective it just shows that no one can really understand why Serbia is so adamant in its stance. It’s all just so materialistic to you people.

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

Thanks. This is perhaps the most powerful argument in Serbia’s favour. Kosovo does have profound cultural importance for Serbia and there is a Serbian community under threat. However, and this is important, it also seems profoundly unreasonable to make a permanent claim to territory based on this when it means controlling the destiny of the best part of two million people. This is all the more so when one considers that the Serbs in the South of Kosovo are steadily disappearing. Even if Serbia were to retain Kosovo, it would come at an extraordinarily high price. It would have to keep its autonomy. But it would also have to be given extensive political rights and powers in Serbia itself. This would include a significant proportion of parliamentary seats, positions in government, allocated places in the civil service. The Serbian state would be one a Serbian and Albanian state. Would people in Serbia really want this. I know many would say “yes, if it meant holding on to Kosovo.” The irony is that those who would say this most loudly are the ones who would hate this outcome most passionately: Serbian nationalists. Most ordinary people - and believe me I know Serbia far, far better than you realise - would not want this. The nationalists, in reality, would hate it with a passion. Ultimately, for what it’s worth, I have always argued that some sort if territorial solution make most sense. The north was never really Albanian anyway. And there could be special provisions for the religious sites. But this would be the most logical, face-saving outcome that really respects what people want. (And a little less of ‘you people’. You were doing so well until that little, unnecessary snipe.)

@kelian69

Жыл бұрын

@@JamesKerLindsay it’s a little early in the morning, I am a bit salty. I apologize.

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

@@kelian69 No worries. I know what you mean. Have a good day. :-)

@kelian69

Жыл бұрын

@@JamesKerLindsay thank you, proffessor. You have yourself a great weekend.

Prof, I appreciate you taking the time to study this! Very well put together. Regards, from Kosovo.

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

Thank you very much Enis. I really appreciate it. Very best regards from my end too.

Thanks for this informative Video professor. I'd like to know your opinion on the treaty on non proliferation of nuclear weapons , countries having currently a nuclear program or wanting to have one and nuclear weapons in general.

Depressing. It took Ireland 70 plus years (1922 to 1999) of intermittent "troubles" to fully accept the reality of multiple communities that do not recognise each other's sovereignty. Is that how long Kosovo/Serbia will take...?

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

Great point Tony. Sadly, there is little sign of movement. In this case, there was some hope of an agreement a few years ago based on a potential consensual border change. Northern Kosovo would join Serbia and Albanian parts of Serbia would have joined Kosovo. The leaders were talking seriously about it. But Britain and Germany killed it off. How ironic.

@diellibetim

Жыл бұрын

@@JamesKerLindsay It’s not ironic but it’s great for being refused. Changing Kosovo borders would only prove that Kosovo’s stability is not strong and even after land swap serbs would still put their fingers into destabilizing Kosovo. The richest part of Kosovo will never be serbian.

@abhabh6896

Жыл бұрын

@@diellibetim Kosovo will never be independent

If you were in charge i am sure it would have been resolved already. Great and fair analysis professor. Thank you!

@fpsserbia6570

Жыл бұрын

it wouldn't, countries are based on interest not on what is right, as long as countries act based on interest don't expect them to be fair.

@teojer

Жыл бұрын

@@fpsserbia6570 Well.. yes, like most of the human relationships I guess!! But I don’t think that is in anyone’s interest not to have peace!! We have to evolve at some point.. we have tried everything in this region- apart from Peace!!

@fpsserbia6570

Жыл бұрын

@@teojer well in order to have peace first you have to have competent people in the governments of the Balkan countries and that isn't the case, specially in Serbia i can't talk about others, other then that education is very important and only then can we try to have a peace, but even then i doubt it. there is just a lot of hate, i think that hate is a strong word but travel and see it for yourself many people feel that way towards other group of people, i m just trying to be isolated from it so i just don't even want to be where others are so that is how i " solve " the problem, it is easier.

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

@Teo Jerasi Thanks. :-)

@serbianwarrior385

Жыл бұрын

@@teojer No peace with shiptar Albanians

"dozen countries" that withdrew recognition include: "Sierra Leone, Suriname, Togo, Ghana, Nauru, the Union of Comoros, Sao Tome and Principe, Guinea-Bissau, Burundi, Liberia, Lesotho, Grenada, Madagascar, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Palau, and the Central African Republic". I see a pattern...

@mashinajoe

Жыл бұрын

All unimportant countries 😆 🤣 😂 bahahahahaha. USA, Germany, France, UK, UEFA, FIFA recognise kosmet. 😎

@ianhomerpura8937

Жыл бұрын

@@mashinajoe all countries dependent on ammunition from Serbia.

@mashinajoe

Жыл бұрын

@@ianhomerpura8937 exactly!

@Kalimdor199Menegroth

Жыл бұрын

@@mashinajoe Unimportant for you maybe. But to be accepted in the UN, you need 2/3 votes of all members. And the fact that Serbia is convincing these countries to not recognize you is a win for their cause. How unimportant are they when you beg them to allow you in the UN? 🤣🤣 They are more important than you, that's for sure.

@mashinajoe

Жыл бұрын

@Kalimdor199 the cash for everything comes from USA, never from those rogue states. Money talks. Understand my friend?

Thank you for the video Dr. Ker Lindsay! Knowing your experience working with Balkan geopolitics, it’s particularly fascinating to hear your take on this. Do you give any credence to the recent rumor that Russia could try to pre-empt any Serbia-Kosovo deal by sending Serb ultra paramilitaries, which have been fighting in Ukraine since 2014, back to Serbia with the intent of provoking trouble with Kosovo? To me it sounds overly audacious to be true, you would certainly be able to give a more authoritative answer. Thanks as always professor!

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

Thanks. Yes, there have been rumours. I don’t take them seriously - or, rather, I don’t dismiss them, but I don’t worry too much about it. NATO still has forces on Kosovo. Any serious attack would be quickly repelled, with huge consequences for Serbia if it was shown that there was any government collusion. Belgrade knows this. I know that lots of people like to view Vucic as a nationalist. But he knows that Serbia’s future is ultimately with the West. Recently he appears to be trying to distance Serbia from Russia. It’s not the big break bang hope, but it does seem that there are changes. Picking a fight with NATO is the last thing he wants or needs.

@TheLocalLt

Жыл бұрын

@@JamesKerLindsay right I guess I overlooked Serbia’s part in all this, I assumed the working theory was that Russia is desperate enough to do this with or without Belgrade’s consent. Though it seems from your comment that the risk is small, which is definitely good news for everyone.

In the 1980s, the EEC and Yugoslavia were partners and people talked for eventually membership. The events in the former Yugoslavia should be a lesson for everybody that Human Stupidity has no limits. Highly recommend to watch BBC’s series “The Death of Yugoslavia”

@SrednyStog

Жыл бұрын

Slobodan Milosevic je rasturio Jugoslaviju,zato jer je trebala da bude Srboslavija.

@rpgbb

Жыл бұрын

@@SrednyStog Ironically Eastern Europe and the Balkans were better off as part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire. The region is such a mix that it’s impossible to establish ethnocentric states. Better to be under Imperial rule

@SrednyStog

Жыл бұрын

@@rpgbb Serbs hate both

@dzonikg28

Жыл бұрын

That BBC documentary is pure propaganda.. Carefully set up with fake subtitles to play their propaganda story, so many stuff off course were not shown that did suite them

Dear Prof. Lindsay, Another well-done video! I respect your determination to be as unbiased as possible from a foreign perspective. So, I wish to add one vital detail that you've missed in the video. By the Brussels agreement (signed by Kosovo* as well) from 2013. the autonomy for the Serbian communities was supposed to be enacted already, but there has been no real progress towards its realization for the past 10 years. So, the EU isn't actually offering anything new to the table for the Serbian side with this initiative. This is why the new negotiations are being seen as "capitulation" from the Serbian side. Because here people know that the other side has not acknowledged their part of the agreement, while Serbia has withdrawn its institutions from the north of Kosovo and Metohija.

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Nikola. I thought I did explicitly mention that the 2013 agreement included the provision for the Association and that this has never been realised.

@Nick-exZ

Жыл бұрын

@@JamesKerLindsay I phrased it wrongly, you have mentioned it but I wanted to go deeper on it and briefly say why the new negotiations are being seen as a negative here, and why there is skepticism around a new round of negotiations. :)

@isaactomangrief9158

Жыл бұрын

Excellent point, Nikola. I would like to add that from Prishtinë, it is seen as the other way around: the commitments made in '13-'15 by Serbia to dismantle various parallel structures have not been undertaken and indeed Belgrade's control of Kosovo Serb life has increased in some areas. The license plate dispute, mentioned in the video, was instigated when the Kosovo government tried to enforce the standardisation of plates as agreed as part of a bilateral, EU agreement (I think the 2015 one) and Serbia resisted. Kurti argues that they want to respect the rights of Serbs in Kosovo, but they can't negotiate with Kosovo Serbs themselves, they are forced to talk to Belgrade. My point isn't that either side is right, but that the EU has lost mediation credibility from the Kosovar Albanian perspective too. It seems to sell out to Vučić's demands and pushes Belgrade's agenda rather than standing up for the agreements it helped broker.

@Nick-exZ

Жыл бұрын

@@isaactomangrief9158 Yeah, I have talked to some Albanian mates in the past regarding this. I can definitely see where the Kosovo side is coming from and I agree to some degree. The largest problem with the cooperation between the north and the central Kosovo government is that the Serbian population there is heavily under the influence of the Serbian mafia (which also has close ties to Belgrade currently), leading to the populace responding how they see fit. The credibility argument from the Kosovar Albanian perspective is always interesting to hear because here it's always propagated how the EU serves only the Albanians' interests.

@bilic8094

Жыл бұрын

@@MilanTheMan69 The only agreement is 1244.

Continue creating videos!

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

Thank you. I’ll try!

Thanks Prof 👍🏻👍🏻. Excellent as always!

Churchill once said that “the Balkans produce more history than they can consume”.

@albanianblood9343

Жыл бұрын

Thats int.

@larrysirname

Жыл бұрын

No he didn't, plus that quote references Crete, not the Balkans

EU plan is stupid, why would Serbia want to basically recognize Kosovo and get Comunity of Serbian Muncipalities in return,when that was agreed on in 2013. Kosovo should just implement the agreement,they dont have to get anything in return for that.

@bilic8094

Жыл бұрын

Nothing will happen with this plan and it shouldn't kosovo will be solved on the battlefield sooner or later.

@getsch5465

Жыл бұрын

serbia should first implements the 2/3 agreements that they didnt implement yet 👌

@mladennestorovic3366

Жыл бұрын

@@getsch5465 hahhaha lol...Serbia should stick to it's sovereign policy and to resolution 1244. EU is not going to receive us in the foreseeable future, so there is no point to rush. Time is on Serbia's side, 850 000 people left Kosovo by 2018, and I believe that at the end of 2023, Kosovo will have a population of one million citizens. With quo status, and this huge unemployment on Kosovo, young people will continue to move out and in the years to come Kosovo will become even more depopulated and much bigger shithole than Moldova, and we will get it back without any resistance.

@getsch5465

Жыл бұрын

@@mladennestorovic3366 the dark soul of your nation is still here, you dying slowly

@alinoor6515

Жыл бұрын

Kosovo shd b recognised as independent country

It would be profoundly idiotic for Serbia agree to anything. The idea of Serbia joining EU, considering reality is ludicrous at best. Kosovo is a failed statelet protectorate created by USA for it's own interests, and once they bugger off, and they will bugger off - sooner rather than later, what is to Stop Serbia from simply steamrolling Kosovo and expelling Albanians just like they did to Serbs after NATO took over? General poverty, unemployment and widespread corruption has arguably depopulated Kosovo to almost under one million people, and this trend will only become stronger in the future. Considering the morality of the situation is naive, west has shown time and again that might makes right. One can either choose to be ignorant of this or to accept it as a reality and act accordingly.

I would say, on a legal basis, I side with Serbia on this one. I think they dropped the ball when it came to Kosovar independence. I think what should have happened was negotiate some kind of deal, like make Serbia and Kosovo two equal partners in a federation along the lines of Austria and Hungary in Austria-Hungary, Ethiopia and Eritrea before the Eritreans fought for independence or even the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Now, I know what you're going to say "But the two former countries tried that and failed, but the latter is on shaky grounds", and you would be correct. But first, Kosovo becomes an equal partner within a dual federation with Serbia for a few years to test it out, with the promise of an independence referendum in the future. Something Sudan and South Sudan did in the late 2000s. Things are still tense and South Sudan is a failing state, but better than nothing.

@joeblack5393

Жыл бұрын

If the West wasnt hypocritical and using clear double standards, it would do in Serbia the same thing it did in Bosnia. But as it is, in case of Serbia wests supports self determination but in Bosnia it supports the complete opposite thing. Almost as if the Western countries supported whatever was against Serbian interests in literally every single case. Huh. How curious.

@Nista357

Жыл бұрын

@@joeblack5393 Finally I got the honor of seeing a person with the ability of critical thinking.

@bestarkrasniqi5072

Жыл бұрын

You have to understand that after the war and so many crimes done by the Serbian army, the Albanian population would never accept to be ruled in any way by Serbia again nor to have any kind of joint state. The multiethnic state with so many rights to the Serbian community is already a huge compromise

@covfefe1787

11 ай бұрын

@@bestarkrasniqi5072 Kosovars already started a terrorist rebellion Serbia never invaded Kosovo it was in fact the other way round.

As an Albanian from Albania I try not to be biased. In my point of view this analysis was pretty well done.

If one study history for long enough, one inevitably ends up just feeling bad for the Balkans.

The Serbs care more about their history and pride than anything else overall in my experience. This directly affects Kosovo. All the Serbs I know and speak with are very militant and will attempt to conquer Kosovo given any legitimate opportunity.

@bilic8094

Жыл бұрын

Well if Ukraine can say they will conquer crimea plus get encouraged by western countries to do it how is it bad if Serbs say they'll do the same with it's illegally occupied territory ?

@SashaArsic

Жыл бұрын

Not conquer, because you do not conquer what is yours. And UN resolution 1244 says it's a part of Serbia.

@mou6854

Жыл бұрын

@@SashaArsic it defacto isnt

@joeblack5393

Жыл бұрын

Correct. If there cant be a just solution brokered with the West, then we will wait however long we have to and resolve the issue militarily, same way it was created in the first place, when that becomes possible. The same way Azerbaijan is resolving Nagorno-Karabakh issue.

@mou6854

Жыл бұрын

@@joeblack5393 Serbia is surronded by NATO, wake up and stop dreaming. Even Vucic knows that with the added fact millions of serb have moved out of Serbia to the EU. imagine what would happen under total sanctions and a blockade

Customary international law is that which jurists say States ought do (opinio juris) and actual state practice. Both are necessary. Since 1990 it is evident that the principle of national self determination applies internally because literally dozens of countries have been so formed in practice and there is plenty of opinio juris that states ought recognize national self determination.

@Nista357

Жыл бұрын

You don't know what "Self-determination" even means. It can't be used as a basis for creating new states.

Excellent historical presentation. May these groups eventually find peace.

An unbiased and informative video on a hot topic. As a person from another heavily nationalist country in the former eastern bloc, I agree on your 3 points that both sides need to accept, if the peace is to be lasting or real. Even though I sympatize with Kosovo Albanians and their desire to be independent, we need to acknowledge that the process that led to independent Kosovo is not exactly the most ,,legal'' in the international sense. Still it's important to acknowledge, that despite idealism of some western diplomats, that ethnic identity is the primary factor for identifying with the state in the region. That means several things: 1. Serbia regaining control of Kosovo would not end the conflict. Ethnic Albanians in Kosovo will still see Serbians as foreigners and would rebel or try to secede at the next opportunity. 2. Despite western pressure, Kosovo is not a state without ethnicity. It is an Albanian polity. Serbs will feel a closer connection to Serbia, even if Kosovo is recognized as independent. This will lead to separatism if Serbian communities are left close to the border. In my opinion the only peace that can last is Kosovo giving up its' northern Serbian munincipalities in exchange for recognition. Kosovo would recieve international acceptence. Serbia would improve relationship with the West and domestically could argue that they couldn't get any more concessions. Both sides would somewhat benefit. People who insist that ,,redrawing borders in the balkans to match ethnicity is never a good solution'' need to remember that the majority of people there would not be happy in the long run with other solutions. Others fearing that it might lead to breakup of Bosnia... Bosnia is already unstable, Kosovo won't be that big of a change. It might even appease some serbian nationalists. If the wounds between the sides are to heal, both sides need to be able to have their self-determination. Appealing to ,,justice'' either for ,,Albanian freedom fighters'' or ,,Persecuted Serbs defending alone from the west'' will not lead to reconciliation. Autonomy for Serbs in Kosovo in exchange for independence might work too, but I fear it would just fuel Serbian nationalism and irredentism, while the Albanians would seek to abolish it in the future. Kosovo Albanians I spoke with don't support AofSM, fearing it would be a repeat of Bosnia government paralysis. Anyways that's just my opinion. A bunch of other things like water rights, mines etc. would probably need to be negotiated, but I'm not a lawyer or a diplomat.

@kostam.1113

Жыл бұрын

It's either partition on ethnic lines Or heavy autonomy for Serbs (with serious international guarantees of that autonomy) Anything else will just mean conflict either frozen or hot...

The quick historical review of Kosovo was quite vague and misinforming. It starts from some imaginatory "Dardania" but jumps to 20th century, while completely disregarding the fact that Serbs continually live in Kosovo since 7th century or even earlier. So from 7th to 17th century Kosovo was strictly Serbian which again implies that Dardanians are actually Serbs since they fought, bled, died for Serbia and loved it for 1000 years, just as they do today. Or was the point of the video to say that there supposedly were some Dardani in 300BC but then they forgot that they were Dardani untill they remembered again in 2008AD that they are Dardani, so they unilaterally declared independence from Serbia but now in the shape of Islamic Albanians? So if Serbia was occupied by Muslims from 15th to 20th century, it implies that Kosovo Serbs were exterminated from Kosovo and replaced by Albanian Muslims during that time. Since they are Albanian Muslims they must have come from Albania. Did they exterminate the Serbs? If in 1953. Albanians made 65% of Kosovo's population, what could had happened so Albanias made 95% of the population in 2008.? "Revoked" means cancled. Kosovo still had an autonomy after 1990. Albanians, as a minority in a foreign country enjoyed all possible rights in that country but nevertheless Albanians wanted full independence by starting an armed rebellion in 1981. After being defeated and amnestied by Yugoslavia and their rights given back, they again caused armed rebellion in 1998. and after Serbia gained guarantees by international community that Kosovo can't become an independent country legaly, US invaded Yugoslavia and used force to colonize it amd change the will of international community, without UN's approval. After US invasion peacekeepers were set in Kosovo but it didn't stop Albanians to comit ethnic cleansing and massacre of Serbs in Kosovo in 2004. In the last decade Serbia agreed to normalize relations with Kosovo, if Kosovo in return establish the "Serbian community of Kosovo". Serbia fulfilled all that was agreed in Brussels but Kosovo failed to establish the Serbian community in Kosovo. This year US/EU sent an ultimatum to Serbia demanding that Serbia accept Kosovo's full independence and in return Serbia will get "Serbian community of Kosovo" and if Serbia refuses, it will be under sanctions. Its beyond me why Serbia just don't declare war on Kosovo at this point.

@SrednyStog

Жыл бұрын

Serbia doesn’t have money for war, nobody in Serbia wants to fight and die either. Also Serbia is surrounded by NATO countries: Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Croatia as well as 3k+ NATO troops stationed in Kosovo. Serbia would just get bombed again

@Kalimdor199Menegroth

Жыл бұрын

@@SrednyStog Most of these countries would have no qualms if Serbia reasserts control over Kosovo in the future. And NATO troops are not permanent in Kosovo, just as they were not permanent in Afghanistan or Iraq. If an US administration deems that it is time to retreat from Kosovo, they will retreat. That would depend on what Serbia has to offer. Would they ditch Russia for the West in exchange for reincorporating Kosovo but allowing the military base there indefinitely? That would be a good bargain. The US is only interested in the end to protect its investment. How it protects it matters less.

@milostomic8539

Жыл бұрын

@@SrednyStog Kosovo belongs to us, not to NATO.Nothing more, nothing less.

@SrednyStog

Жыл бұрын

@@Kalimdor199Menegroth Iraq and Afghanistan ain’t europe therefore American troops there don’t provide security for the North Atlantic. Literally the whole point of NATO is for America to have troops all over Europe. The only way I see Americans leaving Kosovo is if NATO itself as a whole is disbanded. Also I think Serbia hates America too much to allow that

@SrednyStog

Жыл бұрын

@@Kalimdor199Menegroth all those countries except Romania recognize Kosovo as independent

Can you do a video comparing Ethiopia with Yugoslavia? It seems like there are a lot of similarities. I'd be interested to learn what the differences are as well. It would give us a good idea of what Ethiopia's faith would be in the next few years.

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

Great suggestion! I’ve often thought that there are some really interesting similarities. I’ll have a think about how it might work.

@DWEthiopia

Жыл бұрын

@@JamesKerLindsay Thanks for considering my suggestion!

@SrednyStog

Жыл бұрын

Ethiopiss

@bilic8094

Жыл бұрын

Ethiopia and Yugoslavia always had good relations back in the day.

Excellent unbiased overview James!

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

Thank you very much Dejan.

@bilic8094

Жыл бұрын

It was unbiased and it's very hard to balance a fine line in balkan politics.

This is the best depiction for Serbias side i have ever heard. Usually itˋs just "kosovo je srbija!!!!!" or something along those lines.

@dzonikg28

Жыл бұрын

Kosovo je Srbija

@milicastanar9654

11 ай бұрын

Kosovo je Srbija

@serbianwarrior385

7 ай бұрын

Because Kosovo is Serbia for us and will stay forever.NATO will eventually leave Kosovo but Serbs are staying

I'll never respect territorial integrity over self determination. When a nation refuses to allow a subregion the right to self determination vua it justifies violence on that nation. However if the international world says territorial integrity trumps self determination then the following is the result. Catalonia doesnt get a choice. Must stay apart of Spain Scotland doesnt get a choice. Must stay apart of UK Taiwan doesnt get a choice. Must stay apart of China (justifies Chinas future invasion of rebel held Taiwan) Palestine doesnt get a choice. Israel dictates terms Chechenya doesnt get a say. Must stay part of Russia. Donbas, Crimea doesnt get a say. Must stay part of Ukraine. Kosovo doesnt get a say. Must stay apart of Serbia.(Justifies Serbia recapture of Kosovo by force.)

@bilic8094

Жыл бұрын

We can't always let demographics win laws have to exist.

@LeftWingNationalist

Жыл бұрын

@@bilic8094 I dont care about what people historically owned land to justify a position. I just want current residents right now globally to have the Democratic right to choose and for international law to endorse self determination as global law backed by United Nations over territorial integrity. When a subregion anywhere wants to hold a referendum on independence. The united nations should send in peace keepers, and OSCE observers to oversee a credible referendum so no side tries funny business. Its literally the only fair thing to do for the local people who will live there after the vote takes place. I'm not looking for a Bleeding Kansas situation where Pro Slavery and Anti Slavery sides move then fight for it. Block new people from coming. Establish who is a resident and let them vote. Otherwise what's the point of arguing in favor of Democracy. Sometimes you lose in Democracy. That's reality.

@lain1252

Жыл бұрын

Absolute self determination is also problematic. Using your logic the American civil war was wrong and the north should have respected the south's right to self determination and recognized the CSA.

@bilic8094

Жыл бұрын

@@LeftWingNationalist who do you have winning the super bowl on Sunday kc or philly ?

@LeftWingNationalist

Жыл бұрын

@@bilic8094 was leaning kc cuz of pat mahomes but i honestly havent watched philly at all. im more interested in the ufc card between islam and volk

Another banger by the professor. Must feel nice when a Balkan video is next, given that's your specialty and such

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

Thanks. You would think. But I also know that I am about to get a whole lot of abuse! :-)

@Niksg9424

Жыл бұрын

@@JamesKerLindsay Balkan af.

No. It's not possible. Especially when one side(Albanians) is unwilling for any sort of compromise knowing they have support of the West. And when other side(Serbs) is forced to concede by the the West almost at gunpoint. In any case. I think the West needs more African migrants in their rural neighborhoods.

@ShubhamMishrabro

Жыл бұрын

😂

@3ndrei

Жыл бұрын

So true, I mean look at all the shootings on Serbs recently, imagine if that was the opposite, there would be calls for further military intervention

@TotilaTheGoth

Жыл бұрын

@@3ndrei Indeed. By the way, your comment is not showing up.

@Nista357

Жыл бұрын

@@TotilaTheGoth I can't wait for more African migrants to arrive to Europe, because EU will start to understand Serbia's position when African republics start popping up all over it. I think we won't have to wait that much to see that happen.

@TotilaTheGoth

Жыл бұрын

@@Nista357 It will be enjoyable to watch that happens. James' own country already has an Indian PM. So they're on a good way for that to happen.

Perhaps the association could be given Scottish-style devolution rather than status as a fully-fledged federal unit. This might ensure a large measure of autonomy while preventing “Bosnianization”.

@soul8938

Жыл бұрын

That would be a good idea since the fears and distrust of the bosnian system highly understandable

@covfefe1787

11 ай бұрын

yeah and what party controls the Scottish parliament? giving a minority a parliament just leads to succession. land swap agreement will end along with automatic EU membership for Serbia Kosovo and Bosnia.,

Never; as is the case with Cyp, Serbia cannot legitimise a breakaway “state” as independently not-Serbian which was & is, a significantly historical part of its territory, just because the West imposed it.

@JamesKerLindsay

11 ай бұрын

Every country can declare that a part of its territory is independent - if it wants to. That is the foundation of sovereignty. But, interestingly, there was one exception to this in modern times. I hope to cover it in a couple of weeks.

@ephilippos

11 ай бұрын

@@JamesKerLindsay Dear Prof hope you are keeping well, nice to hear from you! A country could, yes, but in the case of Serbia or Cyp, they won't until there is a (just/fair) settlement somewhere along the line...

@JamesKerLindsay

11 ай бұрын

Thanks. Agree. They can give up the territory. But do they want to? I think Serbia wants to give up Kosovo. It just hates the way it was list and wants a good offer to let it go. It knows it can’t control 2 million Albanians. And that trying to reintegrate them into the Serbian state would be impossible; socially, politically, and economically. And there have even been many Greek Cypriots who privately say it might be time to ‘give up’ the north. President Anastasiades apparently would sometimes talk about it, and at what price. All good at my end. Very busy, though. I hope all is well with you. :-)

I was so worried that he was going to say the "If the EU and US are going to use such coertion, it would seem to make sense to push for a final solution." I was like :/ ...Well...that was Serbia's original plan James...

@fpsserbia6570

Жыл бұрын

if that was the plan why that didn't happen in 1997 or 1998, war didn't start in 1999, war with NATO did, with albanians war was starting around 1997, in those 2 years Serbian army and police could have killed almost all of them if they wanted you have to know the whole situation in order to understand what happened and why

@pierceblackburrow2140

Жыл бұрын

@@fpsserbia6570 Kosovo had an offer to join the war and align with Croatia but Kosovo Albanians leaders played it much smarter, waited for Serbia to weaken. Smart move!

@vitorboldrini6337

Жыл бұрын

This pun will go over so many peoples’ heads…

There is tension in area that was illegaly ripped out from soverign country? *mild shock*

@joeblack5393

Жыл бұрын

And to make matters even more hilarious 20 years later, they send 5 represenatives with a new 400 iq plan that no one thought of before, and guess what that plan is? "Serbia you do everything weve been wanting you to do since 1999. and in return you join EU in 2030. Maybe. Probably. Possibly."

@alinoor6515

Жыл бұрын

Cover Eithiopia bse it has futures like yugoslavia. James bse ur biased and u don't listen the request

Why does one nation get to have two nation states? Albanians have their nation state do they not? In fact Albania is bordering Serbia via Kosovo. So we have one nation having 2 independent states. It's not Albanian colony. This bothers me more than anything. There are nations without nation state (ie Kurds as mentioned) and Albanians get to claim 2 countries. It doesn't seem right.

@joeblack5393

Жыл бұрын

Why do they get to form a second state and Russians in Donbas and Crimea cannot?

@joseywales148

Жыл бұрын

Don’t worry- it will be United sooner rather than later… remember East/West German Union… now you can relax, meditate and come to terms with what will happen soon

@katerpese

Жыл бұрын

Why do South Slavs have 7 states in the Balkans but Albanians, who are native to these lands, only get a meagre one and half of very small territories?! Thats because the European Powers butchered the Albanians and their territories so many times in the past. Supporting Kosovo’s independence was the least they could do to amend past deeds.

@joeblack5393

Жыл бұрын

@@katerpese Can you show us some historical monument, a church, a city, anything, that Albanian people have built/created in these territories that you call Albanian? Cause im pretty sure that you cant. I can show you Slavic churches, monuments and cities from the 7th century all the way to today. Also thats an idiotic question about 7 South Slavic states. We have 7 because we have 7 distinctive South Slavic nations with each one having their own national state (with exception of Bosnia which is a union of 2+1). Albanins living in Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Greece are all ethnic Albanians. Hence 1 state.

@joseywales148

Жыл бұрын

@@katerpese Absolutely 👍🏻 💯 the truth- Europe has done so much evil to the Albanian People

Maybe as the Ukraine war goes in it will influence all sides for a more final solution to this issue?

@joeblack5393

Жыл бұрын

You would think that. But no, the only thing that is changed is that now Americans (primarily) show an interest to resolve the issue which translates into political pressure on Serbia to basically recognise Kosovo and do everything Americans want. Because apparently Kosovo is being used as a cudgel by the Russians to beat Americans every time they try to moralize about Ukrainian territorial integrity, and the fact that the Russians are basically right and that there is pretty much no logical/reasonable counter to that pisses Americans off.

@kth6736

Жыл бұрын

@@joeblack5393 "tying up the lose ends" as they say in movies.

@milostomic8539

Жыл бұрын

I think the same.

If albanians can declare independence from kosovo then serbs in kosovo can declare independence from kosovo too

Very good video, I quite enjoyed your neutral stance on the matter as 90% of westerners just stay with "Serbs did crimes so they get nothing" card. Not realizing that in 30 years much have changed. Unfortunately, as a person who live in Belgrade I can tell this much from neutral stance - it will not happen, there is just too much bad blood. Neither side will except anything as in their eyes it will mean defeat for what they are fighting for. Knowing both nations, they would rather wait for another 100, 200 or 500 years to see how will world situation change and just adapt. I could make a lot of point why the peace between Serbs and Albanians is not possible but that will take hours. I will just note a few of them which will give you full picture what the both sides want: 1 - Great Albania (for Albanians Kosovo is not the end, they will be satisfied only when half of Montenegro, South Serbia with city of Nis and half of Macedonia is under their banner as they see it as legitimate border of their "pre-Roman Kingdon". 2 - Greater Serbia (if Serbia is to accept independent Kosovo you can bet it will ask for Republica Srpska to be integrated into Serbia next and it will show Kosovo as example - if 90% of populations in that part of the country wants to join us they should have the right to do so, this will open can of worms to Montenegro as well as the only remaining country with major Serb population to have either autonomy or option to join Serbia ). 3 - What the west wants going against both of their objectives (western countries are explicitly agaisnt any other border changes which makes everyone unhappy - even Kosovo Albanians who would also like to incorporate Presevo valley into their "country". This is also quite possibly the only reason why peace was not achieved few years ago when Tachi and Vucic were close to achieving final deal exactly becasue of territory swap which would make both of them happy - Serbia get's the North while Kosovars get Presevo valley. Only reason why it failed was becasue west was against it). 4 - Historical grudges (I do not even want to go into details here, we can go back to centuries before this but I will just note two of them - 1996 to 1999 war where Albanians were waging war for independence and 2004 where Albanians literally forced our local Serbs from their homes en masse and didn't show any regret or willingness to either accept them back or return their lands to them which they took illegaly). 5 - Stubbornness of population overall (even if there is political will accepting this deal means political suicide for both Kurti and Vucic as both their populations are some 80 to 90% against the deal. Serbs would rather face sanctions again than to give up their ancestor lands and Albanians would see it as an insult to their war for independence if they have to bow to any request from their former occupiers). So what is my take on this: this will not be accepted by both sides and while I doubt full fledged sanctions like those in the 90's (west has a lot of companies here in both places which they use to exploit cheap working force for extended profits) some of them may be employed but in the end both sides would rather accept that then to change anything.

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

Thank you very much. I agree with a lot of what you said. Sadly, I think you are right about too many holding on to their positions no matter what. As it happens, I was also really angry at the way certain Western countries , notably Britain and Germany, stood in the way of the Thaci-Vucic talks. I think that it could have led to a sensible final settlement. However, far too much Western policy is still led by dogmatism and Bosnia. No border changes (although that's exactly what happened in 2008) stands in the way of an agreement.

@bilic8094

Жыл бұрын

The western countries could find a realistic solution but I think they like instability in the region for some reason.

@N.a.t.t

Жыл бұрын

Haha you maked me laugh with number 4. Albanians wanted war. Did you write something about what we Serbs did in Kosovo before the war and during the war???? You are trying to sound intelligent but you have so many biases. If the Albanian population had been treated like human beings in Yugoslavia everything would be different. I’m astonished by you Serbs who killed almost all neighbours and continue to see as YOURSELF as victims. Take a step back and begin to apologise for all your genocides then maybe we can have peace.

the mind, the soul, idea, intended, unreasonable, ignorance, health, pride, dream, stray, patience, fear, serious attitude, life, problems, workers, government, power

Have you heard of the controversial news regarding the Sovereign state of Kailasa with a self proclaimed guru Nithyananda

This is a very complicated subject. I do think Kurdistan region in Iraq is another similar example. Both are persecuted minorities that are part of a country that is relatively new. Serbia formed out of Yugoslavia and Iraq was formed in the 1920's out of the Ottoman Empire. I can see argument for their indepdence but also arguments for an autonomous region within those governments. The justifications for indepdence is that they are a persecuted ethnic minority group that historically weren't controlled by that government. The argument for remaining part of those countries (but some autonomy) is that it can set precedent for so many other conflicts around the world. Considering how terrible they are or were treated, I lean on support for indepdence but under the same conditions mentioned by the professor at the end -- giving a level of autonomy to the ethnically Serbian region of Kosovo.

@partizan3

2 ай бұрын

Serbia created Yugoslavia, not was created from Yugoslavia. First Yugoslavia in 1918 was created by Serbia after ww1…

Your familiarity with the subject shows, Professor. Great explanations and great insights.

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much Hugo! I really appreciate it, as always. I hope all is well with you.

@annai6393

Жыл бұрын

@@JamesKerLindsay Ha. Familiarity? Western rubish and Othering.

Dear James,thank you as always for your ever informative videos while im convalescent According to Noel Malcom in his book,A History of Kosovo,he postulates that the Ottoman empioroe never acknowledged the annexation of Kosovo by Serbia,hence being left in "limbo" as a one sided action

@JamesKerLindsay

11 ай бұрын

Thanks. But I have to say one also needs to tread carefully with Malcolm. He has a rather selective view of things. :-) But it doesn’t really matter for the contemporary debate. Its incorporation by Serbia and then Yugoslavia had been internationally recognised. There are countless territories around the world that argue that they shouldn’t be part of the state they are in. But that’s where they are, and states really don’t like to question that. More to the point: get well soon!

@naimkozi3767

9 ай бұрын

How does Malcolm have a selective view on things -please explain?

I think like a Scotland or Quebec type deal could possibly work.

@abhabh6896

Жыл бұрын

As a Serb, gor us sny sort of independent Kosobo is simply unacceptable, to the point where open war is preferable.

@donaldduck280

Жыл бұрын

@@abhabh6896 Very smart. Because war is always the best solution. Because Serbia gained a lot from the previous wars. Because Serbia doesn't have a lot of problems from the previous wars. Because Serbia will certainly win the war. They will only be fighting against Kosovo, US, EU, NATO. Win is in their pocket.

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

@Bluemotel Thanks. These might have been options at one point. But we are past that now. There is simply no way that Kosovo can be realistically reintegrated. And, frankly, no one in Serbia would want it to be. It would cause no end of problems. A lot of the ‘Kosovo is Serbia’ sloganeering is frustration at what happened combined with an absolute absence of critical thinking about what it would mean in real terms.

@mladennestorovic3366

Жыл бұрын

@@JamesKerLindsay With staus quo, Kosovo will be at best with 700k citizens by 2030.

Great video!!!!

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much Masa! I really appreciate it. I hope you are keeping well.

Europe will only start to understand Serbia when Kosovo's start popping out all over other countries in the EU. Luckily or not, we won't have to wait long to see that happen.

@katerpesa

Жыл бұрын

Do you mean to copy what Serbs are doing now?

@seneca983

Жыл бұрын

In most EU members there aren't significant enough tensions for something like that to happen. The closest examples would probably be Catalonia and Basque Country.

@Nista357

Жыл бұрын

@@seneca983 You are not aware how fast things change. Germany, France, Belgium will have 15% Muslim population in just a few years. You can see for yourself all the terror attacks that happened in the last 10 years. Most people think its just an accidental abomination. Its not, its a picture of daily reality of Europe for the next few hundreds of years.

@seneca983

Жыл бұрын

@@Nista357 "You can see for yourself all the terror attacks that happened in the last 10 years." Terror attacks don't make countries bankrupt. They'd have to be pretty spectacular to do something like that.

@Nista357

Жыл бұрын

@@seneca983 Who's talking about bankrupcy?

I think the EU and USA supporting unilateral independence was a historical destabilising mistake. I also think ethnic nationalism should not be encouraged, especially in Europe.

@SrednyStog

Жыл бұрын

Destabilizing who and what?

@Kalimdor199Menegroth

Жыл бұрын

@@SrednyStog Destabilizing because other countries can use this precedent as a way to invade or support insurgent movements against enemy states and legitimize the creation of breakaway states using the Kosovo experiment. There is no difference between Kosovo and what Russia is doing with some of the former soviet republics, namely Georgia and Ukraine. Others can make use of this precedent too if they want to. For a region like the Balkans, this precedent is even more dangerous, as this region brims with separatist and irredentist movements.

@SrednyStog

Жыл бұрын

@@Kalimdor199Menegroth Why would america care about destabilizing the Balkans?

@boombang857

Жыл бұрын

@@SrednyStog The Kosovo project, as well as the Yugoslav Civil War in its entirety, helped the Americans establish dominance in the region. The Serbs, being the strongest entity known for their refusal to bow to external pressures and domination, needed to be dismantled. Now, Croatia serves as a NATO port, Kosovo boasts the largest military base in Europe (Bondsteel), and the entire region is covered by NATO. That's why they destabilized the region, not to mention the abundant natural resources found in Kosovo and Metohija.

@Kalimdor199Menegroth

Жыл бұрын

@@SrednyStog Because it doesn't understand the region. Every time a foreign power tried to set the rules in this region, things got even more fucked up.

So Serbia will stop opposing Kosovo* join UN but in return Serbia (Serbs that love in Kosovo) will get SOMETHING THAT WAS AGREED 10 YEARS AGO!?!?? That mean's that SERBIA HAVE TO "PAY" TWICE FOR Community of Serbian Municipality's ?!?? In addition OTHER SIDE (all of them) is now trying to downgrade jurisdictions of those Municipality's!! WHO CARES that Serbian Municipality's is against Kosovo* Constitution!?? Secession of Kosovo is AGAINST SERBIAN CONSTITUTION too!! Now what happen in Ukraine is result of Kosovo example. Putin is using same rhetoric as West/NATO did in Kosovo* example. EDIT: As credit to author, This is maybe the first case where in analysis mention UN Resolution 1244 (that is still in legal power). All other Western media and politicians is putting that UN Resolution under carpet!

Stay strong Serbia!!!❤ amazing analysis on the current situation in Serbia hopefully one day we can all move on from this and the whole Balkan can finally live in peace and move forward together the very truth is that all of our problems will be solved in the whole region once we all enter the EU, Schengen, and Euro economic Zone it will literally be like crossing states in the US borders won’t even matter anymore

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

Thanks. I also hope that the region will one day be in the EU and borders will be open and cease to mean as much as they do now. Let’s hope. Reaching a final deal on Kosovo would go a long way towards helping that. But of course we also need to get Bosnia back on track. Another thorny issue I’ve looked at a lot.

@milicastanar9654

11 ай бұрын

​@@JamesKerLindsayHello. Should we join parts of Bosnia and Hercegovina and parts of Kosovo and Metohija with Serbia and let go the rest of Kosmet to Abanians?

That was an objective and well developed analysis. Very good job.

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much. I know that many nationalists on both sides won’t like it, but hopefully a settlement can be found.

What do the political conflicts in Palestine, Kashmir, Northern Cyprus, Rakine, Xinjiang, Maluku, North Nigeria, North CAR, East Congo, Sudan (prior to 2005) and now Kosovo have in common? Why does nobody talk about that? Maybe if we want to predict the future political conflicts (in western societies) we should learn and legitimately discuss what it is that's causing them in Asia and Africa before insurgencies occur in certain British and French regions like with Kosovo in Serbia. Gabon I think will be next unfortunately and the pundits always seem surprised when the same political conflict continues to happen.

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

Perhaps the same thing as Catalonia, Scotland, Flanders, the Bosnia Serbs, Bougainville, New Caledonia, South Cameroon, Tigray? There are plenty of secessionist issues in majority Christian areas. And there are others. South Sudan is also Christian and animist. And the Karen in Burma have a strong Christian component. Let’s not make this a Muslim issue. And even if we do, we must also accept that religious persecution also works against Muslims in many places.

@ruairidhlloyd282

Жыл бұрын

@@JamesKerLindsay Thanks for replying, I didn't think I'd get a response. I do think that those conflicts I mentioned are expressed in explicitly Islamic terms by those that fuel them. Because of Islam's supremacist ideology (Dhimmitude, Jizya, Jihad) and because the founder was a warlord who massacred Kaffir populations and oversaw the genocide of Jews (Banu Qurayza) and since he the moral example for the Muslims. His followers inevitably persecute other faith groups and this leads to conflict. One book that covers the history of Islamic civilisational conflict is 'The History of Jihad' by Robert Spencer. Which I recommend to further understand this perspective. Undoubtedly Islam isn't the only source of conflict in the world but you completely ignored any religious factors in your video on Kosovo and I think that it is remiss on your behalf not to. Especially when considering the civilisational battle of Kosovo that the nation is named after. Although I did enjoy the video otherwise.

I really like your videos on the subject, its very rare to find somebody in the west that actually bother reading up on things. One question, how come you (nor anybody else I had to dig dig dig to find it) mentions the real reason why Kosovo is part of Serbia and not Albania. The question has been on the table several times. Kosovo was attached to Albania as part of the Axis intervention in 1941. And again after the Italian surrender the Albanians sided with Hitler 1943. Allowing the a brutal regime in Kosovo until the end of the war. Hence when the question came up in the alliance of the united nations during the war and in the following conferences the decision was taken to confirm Serbia's right to the territory. In other words the territory was granted to the Serbs as reward for there suffering and sacrifice in the fight against Hitler, and to punish the Albanians for there crimes. Crucially unlike many of the other territories, like the Sudetenland in the Czeck republic or east Prussia, there was no forced transfer of population, ie the Albanians where allowed to stay by Tito. While for the west this might not be understood, I am quite sure that the other nations, like Russia and China that suffered greatly under WW2 understand this very well.

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

Thanks so much! Really interesting question. The view was that the sides that had fought with sides should not lose any territory as a result of the war. Nor should the sides that fought with the axis gain land. But this was a rather different time in international relations. The current rules were still bring formed.

@dukeh32

Жыл бұрын

​@@JamesKerLindsay Well, the view on not transferring of territory was upheld in the west, but by no means in the east, where borders where redrawn. And in the case of Kosovo the ownership was confirmed. What I am pointing out, or at least try to is that people in the current discourse have a tendency to omit the importance of Potsdam, and the other conferences that where held in adjacency to the end of the last (latest) great war. And the relevance that these treaties play today, at least in the eyes of the people in the east, say Russia, China. the US under Clinton and further presidents has negated on several of the key principals that where agreed upon by the great allies. Where the attack on Yugoslavia was perhaps the most violent example, where NATO actually fought a war to deny Serbia the right that was granted to her by the allies. But its not alone, NATO has expanded to the east and now wants to include Ukraine and Georgia. Far beyond the boundaries that Stalin was promised by Churchill. The US is also denying China control over Taiwan, or at least that is the view from Beijing. It could be an interesting future topic :)

The truth is that the forceful dismemberment of a sovereign nation is a clear indication that the strong can act with impunity. The actions taken against Serbia will have far-reaching consequences for the world and serve as a warning for future generations. The situation in Ukraine is a prime example of the disastrous effects of such actions. It's interesting to note that the Serbs demonstrated great tolerance by granting Albanians in Kosovo and Metohija significant autonomy, including the use of their own language and the establishment of their own schools and governance. Yet, this kindness was not reciprocated and the Albanians pursued independence, which is a concerning trend. We must remember that tolerance should not be taken advantage of or used as a stepping stone towards further demands. The Albanian pursuit of illegal secession from a country that has been a part of Serbian history for over a thousand years has led to the unfortunate and harsh consequences that we are witnessing today. EDIT: It's always a delight to hear your thoughts, James.

@kth6736

Жыл бұрын

Giving autonomy to a region is always a bad decision. Look at scotland. The english though the scots will stop pestering them if they got a scottish parliament. Now the scots want full independence and english are scrambling to take back powers away from scottish parliament.

@boombang857

Жыл бұрын

​@@kth6736 It's a perplexing situation, isn't it? When you support the independence of a group like the Albanians in Kosovo, you're essentially saying that if a country is tolerant and grants autonomy, they will be punished and their territorial integrity will be violated. There is little cultural overlap between Albanians and Serbs, making it difficult to understand why the land was given to the Albanians in the first place. Yet, when it comes to the Eastern part of Ukraine, where the majority of the population is Russian, this type of treatment is not extended. This creates a sense of inconsistency and raises questions about the motives behind these decisions. It's a complex and confusing issue, to be sure. What I'm trying to say is that the Kosovo precedent, if it goes unchallenged, will continue to generate instability not just in the Balkans but throughout the world. The international community must consider the broader implications of its actions and ensure that similar situations are handled in a fair and consistent manner. Otherwise, the lack of clarity and the arbitrary application of rules could lead to chaos and unrest in other parts of the world. The Kosovo precedent has far-reaching consequences and must be approached with caution and careful consideration.

@kth6736

Жыл бұрын

@@boombang857 I fully agree. My own country had an autonomous region where the neighboring country managed to poison the mind on basis of religion that lead to seperatism, armed insurgency and then an ethnic cleansing. Every one from america to britain tried to benefit from the situation rather than resolve it and 5 wars were fought over it.

@boombang857

Жыл бұрын

@@kth6736 It's certainly frustrating to see how things play out for those in power. It's a slap in the face when they tell you to let go of your cultural heritage, your history, and everything that your ancestors worked so hard to preserve. They say to embrace their idea of a "new world" or face consequences like sanctions and destruction. It's disheartening to see the disregard for the sacrifices made by previous generations and the erasure of a culture's rich history. It's a sad state of affairs, but unfortunately, that seems to be the reality for many communities around the world.

@kth6736

Жыл бұрын

@@boombang857 agree. Its a cynical world. The serbs have my sympathy.

The worst it that a slovakian and a spanish are currently holding important seats in EU when it comes to Kosovo 🇽🇰 and this make things more complicated because they don't recognize Kosovo.

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

Thanks. I don’t think that really changes much. Equally, Serbia could argue that if there were citizens of two recognising countries in place that would be a problem. But they never gave said this when it happened. Ultimately, we have to accept that there is a wider international problem here that needs to be solved by both sides accepting the anomalous position that exists.

Damn the Balkans are complicated, no wonder why nobody wants anything to do with it 😂

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

Just reading through all the abusive messages I’ve got here and on Twitter will only underscore why so few want anything to do with it. Interestingly, this is my worst performing video in ages. So, it really does seems that nobody wants anything to do with it!

@rejvaik00

Жыл бұрын

@@JamesKerLindsay you simply can't catch a break

@Finka651

Жыл бұрын

@@JamesKerLindsaydon’t waste your time reading or responding to those comments

If you count population or number of countries. Kosovo is not recognized, but its mainly mostly western back. If the world is a democracy Kosovo lost in a land slide.

I'm from Serbia and the only thing I can say is, Thank you James. You clearly seem to care about our messed up region and you are one of the only people who talk about it from an unbiased perspective.

@haroonsuresh2326

Жыл бұрын

Unbiased 🙄

My only contention to this video is near the end when you claim that Serbia must recognize that it was unrealistic for it to expect that Kosovo should remain a part of Serbia. Look, you mention that the Western actions have caused the feeling of resentment and hypocrisy, and i agree, thats a pretty fair assessment. But you failed to point out why this is. And the reason is simple. Serbia is being told to accept the reality that a part of its territory should be made into a separate country, by the same group of nations who deny the very same right to the Serbs who live in Bosnia and Croatia. In Bosnia Serbs even, de facto and de jure by the interntational law, have a republic within a republic, which is a step that is one level above what Albanians have had in Kosovo. So why is it that sovereignty and territorial integrity are sacred, when it comes to Serbs desiring to separate from other countries, but for some reason Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity are irrelevant when it comes to a national minority wanting to separate from Serbia? Also one small addendum to the point about self determination and decolonization; even if we were to apply these principles to Kosovo, which is not an outlandish proposition despite the fact that Kosovo is not in Africa, there is one key important thing that makes Kosovo different to both former colonies in Africa AND Kurds in Kurdistan: Kosovo is inhabited by ethnic Albanians. People who already have a free and sovereign nation state called Albania. This UN principle literally doesnt apply to them in any way shape or form. The only way to avoid the feeling of resentment and hypocrisy is to stop promoting double standards. Pick one principle - either sovreignity and territorial integrity - OR absolute right to self determination and apply it everywhere all at once. So if Kosovo has the right to separate, automatically, so do the Serbs in Bosnia and Croatia. But now this mess that you people (Westerners) have made is even bigger. Because guess what? Russians are also looking at what youre doing. And making a completely logical argument based on that. If Kosovo can, so can Crimea, Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhie, Kherson, Kharkov, Sumy, Chernigov etc etc etc. Lets see where this brave new world takes us!

@SashaArsic

Жыл бұрын

If it's unrealistic that Kosovo remains a part of Serbia than it's equally unrealistic that Mitrovica remains part of Kosovo, Republika Srpska remains part of Bosnia, Donbas remains part of Ukraine etc etc. They have painted themselves in a corner and refuse to acknowledge that, so they revert to "but they are the bad guys so it's different" argument. For us and many others, they (NATO) are the bad guys, and pushing this narative only leads to a new world war.

@DemPilafian

Жыл бұрын

You're ignoring this part of the video: *_"Kosovo cannot be seen as a precedent for any other situation in the world today."_* 7:03 You have to defeat the reasoning behind that statement before you yammer on about hypocrisy. That entails talking about some ugly stuff you'd prefer to sweep under the rug.

@joeblack5393

Жыл бұрын

@@DemPilafian No i dont because that statement is unreasonable and illogical to begin with. Its the equivalent of me beating you up, breaking every bone in your body and then making a claim that your beating up was a unique case that cant be used as a precedent for any other case of people being beaten up without any legal consequences. In other words this is a typical Western attempt to justify an illegal action after its been carried out. The same way as you can hear US apologists say "it doesnt matter that Iraq didnt have WMDs, Saddam was a dictator".

@simpmaster7995

Жыл бұрын

Stupid argument.

@TheRemover469

Жыл бұрын

@DemPilafian Thats nonsense, the only reason the west say it's a specific case from other independence movements is because they're trying to sweep the mess they made in Kosovo under the rug, which is why they are using threats so that both sides sign the agreement. It's still hypocrisy. To break a sovereign countries territorial integrity on the sole basis of demographics is nonsense, especially when the whole western world agreed that it was Serbian territory until of course it became convenient to say it was no that is.

The case of Kosovo exposes a deep flaw within existing international norms. Territorial integrity is frequently used by repressive, discriminatory regimes as a way of legitimizing their oppression of minorities. This leads to absurd situations, like Azerbaijan invading Artsakh, a region over which it has never ruled, seizing territory, and technically remaining within the bounds of international law, or China threatening to invade Taiwan (an foreign country in all but name) for the sake of "national unity". The reason Russia's invasion of Ukraine is wrong is not that Ukraine had the privilege of widespread international recognition (which Chechnya did not), but because violently annexing a neighboring country to oppress its people is morally wrong. This doesn't mean any separatist movement has a right to balkanize their parent state, nor that every claim to remedial secession is legitimate/valid (the claim by Russian-backed separatists is clearly not), but this does mean that such claims shouldn't be immediately dismissed out of hand but instead depend on the facts of each case.

@anuvisraa5786

Жыл бұрын

why are Albanian baked ok but rusian backed not ok?

A world without borders and national/ethnic identities would actually solve the Kosovo dispute and others like it. Anything else is a half measure…

Thank you for the video Professor, finally there is some clarity in the proposal. I can not drop the feeling that in the future, a formula for successfully gaining independence seem to be a combination of violence threats by the majority in a region and a promise of concessions on the new territory for the deciding powers. Slippery slope, Africa is going to be dynamic if this goes through. Thank you again. A great video.

@JamesKerLindsay

Жыл бұрын

Thank you Vladimir. I appreciate it. As I said, I think we need to have some honest conversations about this situation. Sadly, this has been missing for too long.