‘Never’: Maria Zakharova Rebukes State Dept Over Call to 'Move Away From Kosovo is Serbia Narrative'

Breakaway Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 with support from the US, the UK and most EU member states. Belgrade has never recognized Pristina’s move, blocking Kosovo’s recognition in the UN.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has briefly responded to US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Gabriel Escobar’s call “to move away from the narrative that Kosovo is Serbia.”

“Never”, Zakharova wrote in her Telegram channel on Friday.

This followed Escobar, US envoy to the Western Balkans, telling Balkan news outlet N1 that instead of sticking to the idea that Kosovo is Serbia, they should “move towards the narrative that Kosovo and Serbia are Europe.”

“You have a common future and that future is rapidly moving away from the problems of the 1990s and quickly to the opportunities of the 21st century,” the US deputy assistant secretary of state argued.

The remarks came amid new tensions between Serbia and Kosovo, which escalated last month, when the breakaway announced new border crossing rules requiring ethnic Serbs traveling into and out of Kosovo to obtained Pristina-issued IDs and license plates.

The decision sparked unrest in Serb-populated areas in the province’s north, with Pristina pushing the decision back to September 1 after US Ambassador to Kosovo Jeffrey Hovenier stepped in to call for to delay in the law’s implementation.

In 2008, Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia, in a move supported by the US, the UK and most EU members, Belgrade never recognized Pristina’s independence claims.