The US-EU tighten the loop around Kosovo and Serbia, the Kurti-Vucic "confrontation" returns to Brussels on June 26, here are the details of the international plan, in the end Belgrade will be forced to recognize Pristina as an independent state

Brussels and the United States are moving their "hands" to avoid any destabilizing scenario in the Balkans. The EU is trying to calm the troubled waters between Serbia and Kosovo. Yesterday it was reported that Albin Kurti is expected to meet with Aleksandër Vucic in Brussels on June 26 within the dialogue facilitated by the European Union. This was confirmed by the EU spokesman, Peter Stano. The return to the dialogue table at the level of leaders takes place after a 9-month absence, with the last meeting held on September 14, 10 days before the terrorist attack by Serbian paramilitaries in Banjska, Kosovo. Spokesman Stano confirms that Kurti and Vucic will talk with the mediation of the Union's high representative for foreign policy and security, Josep Borrell, and the special envoy for dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak. It seems that it was the latter's visit to Pristina and Belgrade that determined the last details and the willingness of the parties to go to Brussels. However, the agenda with the topics to be discussed has not been announced. It is expected that among the main issues will be the agreement on the normalization of relations, with a special focus on finding agreement on a path towards its implementation. But Serbian officials, including President Vucic, have often signaled that they intend to derail the talks by raising issues such as the dinar, the association and the now-common claim that the Kosovo government is making life impossible for Serbs in the north.

Strong message from the US

On the other hand, a strong message has come from the United States of America. Special envoy and coordinator of the State Department's Center for Global Engagement James Rubin told VOA that it is difficult to imagine the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia without recognition. So the American plan is for Belgrade to recognize Pristina as an independent state. But he did not leave without criticizing Kosovo. The senior American official, who played an important role during the war in Kosovo, says that there are currently concerns about the way the Kosovo government is playing its role in the diplomatic aspect, not fulfilling the request for the establishment of the association. Rubin also talks about the concerns regarding the disinformation campaign spread by Russia and China in the Western Balkans. "That's why we have to work harder to protect ourselves from this threat. The initiative for the Western Balkans aims to help the countries of the Balkans, those that want to join the EU, that are working to meet EU standards, to draw up procedures, policies, plans, to raise capacities, so we are drawing up what we call it the framework to combat foreign information. We have signed memorandums of cooperation with several Balkan countries to help them face this challenge. Russia uses disinformation all over the world, but especially in the Western Balkans. They are operating through (Russian news agency) 'Sputnik Serbia', through 'RT Serbia' which unfortunately still continues to broadcast. And because many countries speak the same language in the Western Balkans, this kind of information is used, reused and manipulated. We are trying to help the countries of the region to protect themselves against them, bearing in mind that all of them who want to join the EU must meet EU standards, and one of them is to prevent the manipulation of information in their countries. We are trying to help them get ready for this and in the process we hope that they will improve cooperation with each other", he told VOA.