Today marks three years since the first official meeting between Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Kosovo's* "Prime Minister" Aljbin Kirti. The meetings were supposed to be for the purpose of normalizing relations. Three years later, nothing new in Kosovo and Metohija except the even worse position of the Serbs.

Chronological review

In Brussels today (June 15, 2021), for the first time, the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, and the "Prime Minister" of Kosovo* (* indicates a footnote accompanying Kosovo) Aljbin Kurti are meeting. The goal of the meeting is the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina. Through this text, I am going back 25 years to Kosovo and Metohija, reminding of the absolute vandalism of the Albanians and the general reprisal that was launched against the Serbs, Montenegrins, the majority of non-Albanians and some Albanians loyal to the state of Serbia. In the period from June 12-15, 1999, almost all international military troops (50,000 of them) distributed in 5 MNB (multinational brigades) were already stationed. The entry of KFOR into Kosovo and Metohija was enthusiastically greeted by Kosovo Albanians, welcoming them on the streets with 2 fingers raised high, throwing flowers at the tanks. Along with KFOR, refugees are entering Kosovo and Metohija from the direction of the Macedonian border, and with them a not so small number of Albanians from Albania who have never had anything to do with Kosovo and Metohija. General vandalism begins. Intense attacks on Serbs, Montenegrins, many non-Albanians and their property are taking place in cities throughout Kosovo and Metohija.

Murders, kidnappings, demolishing and burning of their houses begin. Monuments of famous Serbs have already been demolished in all major cities, an enraged mass of Albanians is entering institutions and driving workers from their workplaces. General fear and panic reign. Ethnic cleansing of Serbs, Montenegrins and many non-Albanians as well as Albanians loyal to the Serbian state began. Along with the withdrawal of the military and police forces from Spes, a new migration of Serbs is moving mostly towards central Serbia, while a part from the Metohija region is moving towards Montenegro. Kosovo and Metohija looks like a war zone in which the army, which has committed itself to establishing peace, has almost no control, both over the territory and over the people, because of whose alleged threat, the intervention in the FRY began!

An event that certainly remained etched was recorded on June 13, 1999, with the first shot by German soldiers since the end of the Second World War, when Slavko Veselinović and Žarko Andrijević were killed in the center of Prizren, with exactly 220 bullets in their car. David Ferk, from the German contingent of KFOR forces, ordered the opening of fire. He was later prosecuted in Germany but acquitted because it was "established" that 220 bullets were "fired in self-defense"?!

To make the irony even greater, he was awarded by Rudolf Scharping, the German Minister of Defense. This event resulted in the emigration of almost one hundred percent of the Serbian population from Prizren. Peć, Đakovica and other Metohija cities were almost ethnically pure.

In Kosovo Polje, Obilić, Gnjilan, intense talks between Serbs and members of KFOR are underway, but the situation on the ground is not changing significantly in favor of the security situation for the Serbian community. Along with the withdrawal of Yugoslav military and police forces, columns of Serbian civilians are also seen moving towards all administrative crossings towards Serbia and Montenegro. Along with all the chaos, the establishment of a civilian UN mission throughout Kosovo and Metohija is also underway, along with all relevant missions that go on such occasions - UNHCR, IOM, International Red Cross, OSCE, various humanitarian organizations that provide food and medicine. Delivery of quick food packages from the air is also provided by KFOR.

The first joint conference of KFOR and UNMIK confirms the general chaos on the ground. Robin Clyford then presented the information that one Serb was killed, another wounded, and that a group of 5 members of the KLA were arrested on that occasion.

It confirms the burning of houses, gunshots and grenades. However, even that address of his does not correspond to the real picture on the ground because KFOR at that moment does not talk about physical attacks on Serbs in public places, attacks on their property by groups of Albanians who, breaking into properties and apartments, drive Serbs out of their homes in order to move in those who have never lived there, not only in that city, but in good numbers, and in Kosovo and Metohija in general. Some even brought their goats, chickens and geese with them to keep in the bathtub or on the terraces. They were baking flija (Albanian type of pie under the sun) on the balcony, so KFOR, not knowing what it was about, came with a fire truck to put out the "fire" from the outside of the building in a neighborhood in Pristina.

Susan Manuel confirmed the first contacts between the military and civilian subjects of the inter-mission, primarily KFOR Commander Michael Jackson and the first head of UNMIK, Sergio Vieira de Mello.

This actually confirmed that there was no synchronization between the military and civilian missions. The people who were in charge of a protectorate actually got to know each other on the ground, while the people were left to fend for themselves. Although both spokespersons emphasized that the missions are there to establish "democracy and democratic institutions", the mission's focus in the first days was still reduced to the return of Albanian refugees and their care. This is supported by the speech of the spokesman Dennis McNamer, who confirmed that the entire mission is to put it into operation.

Today, 25 years later, time has confirmed the fear of Serbs that international factors in Kosovo and Metohija failed to create democracy, democratic institutions, and a multi-ethnic society. On the contrary! After this first ethnic cleansing, with the presence of international forces, we will witness a similar one, 5 years later during the March pogrom, which started like all Albanian stories about their suffering - fake news that two Albanian boys drowned because they were persecuted by Serbs. The surviving boys lied. The lie was revealed but too late.