In its history, Serbia has often not understood the world, because the world was interpreted for it by those who knew very little or nothing about it. And they presented themselves as “worldly men”. Each of us knows a local “worldly man” who knows exactly what is “cooking” in the White House and the Kremlin, how many Chinese are preparing to go into space, and especially what plans the British have for our little Serbia. Such experts are generally very loud and step by step, their version of the world has gained supporters, so we can thank them that we have often turned to a dead end in history.
These worldly men thus predict the current world situation, the death of globalization and the triumph of the sovereigns (whatever that means in this moment of civilization). So, Donald Trump is winning again, dismantling the deep state and the ossified Washington establishment, bringing completely new people and new politics to the State Department, warming up with the Russians and – reversing the American policy towards the Balkans. Taken by the outpourings of love from Serbia, murals with his face, billboards and front pages with the inscriptions “Trump, the Serb!”, as well as by the fact that his wife is from the neighborhood, the old-new president of the USA destroys the previous policy of his country and returns Kosovo to Serbia. Because it is well known who built monuments to his arch-enemies, the Clintons, and gave streets their names, Albanians in Kosovo, of course. At the same time, the UK realizes that it was wrong about Brexit, regrets it and wants to return to the EU, but it’s too late, it’s already on its knees. Serves them right because they have always been against Serbia and the Serbs. Russia and Putin are finally at the top of the world, together with Trump, and from that new order, some small benefit will reach Serbia. Finally – justice!
For anyone who has dreamed of something like this in the recent years, waking up is painful, the hangover is unbearable, and the head bursts with pain. Because as is usually the case with dreams, reality is somewhere completely on the other side.
Not only Trump’s Washington is not warming its policy towards Russia, but it is on the way to tightening it even more. Just when the above-mentioned thought that the too-smart and timeless Putin outplayed America and Trump and that US domination was over, Trump then brought the head of the CIA as the head of diplomacy, and in his place a steel agent, whom the “company” adores because of her toughness towards terrorists, just as much as she is despised among civic activists and in part of Congress for the torture she allegedly carried out against Islamic extremists.
In one day, Trump showed that he wanted to make “pit bull” diplomacy, and all that was followed, let’s remember, by London’s unprecedented sharpness towards Russia. With the knowledge and support of the three most important allies – the United States, Germany and France, Great Britain hit Putin hard, with brutal ultimatums and mass expulsions of Russian diplomats and intelligence, wanting to put an end to the unbearably long string of mysterious liquidations of the Russian leader’s opponents on its territory.
It would be good to remember and analyze this year as a period of rather sharp changes in global politics, and above all in the relations between the West and Russia and China.
Therefore, regardless of the differences that Serbia and the United States have regarding the Kosovo issue, the words by President Vučić encourage, saying that “Serbia without the Americans cannot solve the Kosovo problem or other problems in the region” and that it is “naive and irresponsible” to think that it can without the influence of the American side. These words guarantee that the finals of the Kosovo issue, which we have already entered, will be resolved extremely rationally, towards a compromise in which all parties will respect the interests of others, without winners or losers.
Let’s go back to the beginning of the story and imagine the following. Trump thought for a long time, took the phone in his hands and tweeted: “The United States was unfair to Serbia. Kosovo is part of Serbia, and from July 1, Kosovo will be part of Serbia again.” Great! Finally, the situation on the ground is in line with our Constitution, which is the only one that says that Kosovo is part of Serbia. So, as of next month, we will provide salaries and pensions for one and a half million of our Albanian citizens. That will not be a problem for our economic and financial power. Only, for the sake of remarks, we are not talking here only about the payment of one-month pensions and salaries. So, every month. Furthermore, elections are being called for a new Serbian parliament throughout Serbia, including Kosovo as an integral part of it. Albanians, it is clear, are becoming the second strongest party in the Serbian parliament. The election of a new government is coming. Based on the strength, according to the number of deputies in the Serbian Parliament, Albanians actively participate in the Serbian Government and propose General Agim Çeku as the Minister of Defense of Serbia. For the Deputy Prime Minister of the Serbian Government, Hashim Thaci, and Ramush Haradinaj can be either the Chief of the General Staff of the Serbian Army or the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of European integration and foreign affairs. Behgjet Pacolli as the Minister of Finance or Economy in the Government of Serbia. And the deputy director of the BIA becomes Albin Kurti … Excuse me? How unthinkable? Well, if Kosovo is part of Serbia, this is the most realistic scenario. Similar government structures, as the one I have described, exist in Montenegro and Macedonia. So, again, it is better to wake up with hangover, forget this nightmare, and try to find a final and sustainable solution to the problem of Kosovo.
Serbia no longer has the time or energy to live in the clouds of superiority, because it has already hit the wall too many times, built on the interests of others and charged with the energy of rules that do not care about our misconceptions about the alleged greatness. Serbia has its interests which are clear and achievable. We should not be ashamed of our interests and we should not spare the effort to achieve them, because that is the behavior that is understood and respected in the modern world. Fighting for one’s interests is not only allowed in today’s world but it is the only one that is understandable.
Nobody listens to our local complaints that the injustice is constantly being done to us, nor do they want to understand. Stories of our “global” or “historical” greatness and influence resonate only to our limits, where they are scattered under the numbers, successes, and interests of others, under a misunderstanding of the language we speak.
Zoran Đinđic said: “If you would plan as if there is no world but only you, then you are God, and if you are God, then there is no discussion. But if you are not God, then there is always an environment in which you have to plan your strategy, and if that environment ultimately rejects your strategy and leads to failure, then it is your fault, and that world is not to blame. So, always if you fail to cope in one environment, it is not nature’s fault. And international politics is like nature to you. Storms, tornadoes, floods, it all happens and there is not much moral thinking. There are relations of strength, power and you need to understand that and somehow go through everything without getting hurt.”
However, we as a nation are not used to statesmen telling us the truth. That was also the case with Zoran Đinđic and now Aleksandar Vučić. Vučić came out bravely, saying that the most important thing for Serbia’s progress and the path to the EU is to find a solution for Kosovo. He also says that he is ready for a compromise in which Serbia must not be humiliated. He also says that he is aware that it is the great powers that decide on this. These great powers respect the President of Serbia because he shows that he is a serious player in a large turbulent global policy. “And in order to be a player according to the rules of the world game, you have to meet certain minimum conditions, in order to be accepted as a player. If you constantly break the rules and constantly say I don’t want this, I don’t want that, I just want what I like, they turn you off and say: „Go out there on the bench and play there according to your rules“. So, there must be a measure of respecting the rules and, of course, some fouling, without the referee noticing or various combinations that lead you to score a goal …“ – Đinđic also said.
Therefore, Aleksandar Vučić, have a happy trip to Washington on June 27! And score a goal for Serbia, whatever happens!