Serbian President Vucic accused the West of double standards under international law
Quick Look
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić spoke at the UN General Assembly, saying that Western countries violated international law in Kosovo and Metohija by recognizing its independence without grounds, and are now demanding respect for this law in the conflict in Ukraine, highlighting their weakening and double standards.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
In 1999, NATO bombed the FRY without the approval of the UN Security Council, claiming that the authorities were carrying out ethnic cleansing in Kosovo. This led to the withdrawal of Serbian forces and the subsequent independence of Kosovo, which Serbia does not recognize.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said at the UN General Assembly that Western countries violated international law in Kosovo and Metohija.
Vucic stressed that these countries now demand compliance with international law in the conflict in Ukraine.
The President of Serbia noted that previously strong and powerful countries recognized the independence of Kosovo, without any basis in international law.
UN, September 24 – RIA Novosti. Western countries that violated international law in Kosovo and Metohija are now weakened and demand compliance with it in the conflict in Ukraine, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said in a speech at the UN General Assembly.
“How many times over the past two days have you heard from this podium calls for compliance with international law? In particular, when it comes to the conflict on the territory of Ukraine. Most of these countries shamelessly remain silent about the fact that they themselves violated the provisions of the UN Charter and the foundations of international law. And today they would like to return to these principles by any means when they see that the more powerful and powerful are resorting to the same methods that they carried out,” Vucic said.
He emphasized that these are the countries that were previously “the strongest and most powerful” that recognized the independence of Kosovo and, without basis in international law, tried to seize 14% of Serbia’s territory.
In 1999, an armed confrontation between Albanian separatists from the Kosovo Liberation Army and Serbian security forces led to the bombing of the FRY (at that time consisting of Serbia and Montenegro) by NATO forces. The military operation was undertaken without the approval of the UN Security Council based on the assertion of Western countries that the authorities of the FRY allegedly carried out ethnic cleansing in the Kosovo autonomy and provoked a humanitarian catastrophe there.
NATO airstrikes continued from March 24 to June 10, 1999.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Serbia will continue to insist on reviewing the status of Kosovo in international forums
Likely · Within months
The debate about double standards in the application of international law will intensify in the context of the conflict in Ukraine
Very likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- How will Western countries react to Vucic's accusations?
- Will this rhetoric change Serbia's position on recognizing Kosovo?
- What specific actions could Serbia take in response to these statements?
