Russian Ambassador: NATO Assists Warmongering Kosovo Separatists

http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2011&mm=08&dd=04&nav_id=75761

Tanjug News Agency/Večernje Novosti
August 4, 2011

Russian ambassador in strong criticism of intl. missions

BELGRADE: Russian Ambassador to Serbia Aleksandr Konuzin on Thursday once again addressed the issue of the current crisis unfolding in Kosovo.

He qualified NATO's decision to deploy more soldiers in Kosovo as "yet another proof that the whole Kosovo issue is an anti-Serb campaign".

"It is difficult to understand the logic of NATO partners. Over a number of months KFOR has been systematically reducing its contingent saying that the situation in the province is stabilizing. The mission ignored the warnings that the situation is not like that," Konuzin said for the Thursday edition of the Belgrade-based daily Večernje Novosti.

"When Priština took the unilateral military action to isolate Kosovo from central Serbia, using the special police units ROSU, KFOR aided them by moving the members of the units to the north of the province by helicopters," the Russian ambassador said.

"The war-mongering statements by Hashim Thaci about his intent to proceed with attempts to violently regain control over the territory north of the Ibar River have caused no concern among the international security presence. An identical inert reaction ensued even when the security forces in Priština have raised the combat readiness to the highest level," he said.

"They got alarmed only when the unarmed Serbian civilians, who reacted to the illegal and dangerous operations by Priština, took to the roads in order to protect their families, and also their houses from theft and robbery," said Konuzin.

"The Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX), which is active in the province, seeing that lawlessness was growing, at first distanced itself from any action and then took the side of Priština. Furthermore, EULEX has the authority to annul decisions that threaten security and public order. In other words, another huge anti-Serb campaign is underway," concluded Konuzin.