yugoslavias implosion

26
IntroduCtIon
unwillingness to participate in Kosovo’s development ensured that
no major progress was made in terms of reforms or the integration
of Serbians into Kosovo institutions. The Albanian population
grew ever more frustrated. After eleven Albanians and six Serbs were
killed and thousands were displaced from their homes in a few days
of rioting in March 2004, the international community was forced
to adopt new criteria in an effort to solve the Kosovo issue. The new
policy, however, was no more successful than the previous one.
The declaration of independence by Kosovo on February 18, 2008,
triggered a fierce backlash in Serbia, including street riots and the
torching of foreign embassies in Belgrade. As a result, countries that
had recognized Kosovo withdrew their ambassadors from Serbia.
The Serbian authorities sought an opinion from the International
Court of Justrice (icj) on what they termed Kosovo’s ”illegal“ declaration
of independence.
Even after the declaration of Kosovo’s independence Belgrade
refused to accept the new reality and was seeking ways to partition
Kosovo.
This book does not focus on the role played by international actors
in the break-up of Yugoslavia, a subject that has been covered extensively
in many other English-language publications. However, the
book does devote some discussion to the roles played by Russia and the
West insofar as they influenced the calculations, actions, and reactions
of Serbian nationalists and their foes. Thus, chapter 3 discusses how the
absence of a consistent Western policy toward Kosovo and the West’s
tardiness in deciding to support Kosovo’s independence encouraged
Serbia’s hopes that Kosovo and Bosnia would both be partitioned. Serbian
expectations were also boosted by Russia’s entry into the Balkans,
which led many Serbs to harbor the illusion that Russia would rush to
the defense of Serbia’s interests. Russia in fact prioritized its interests
and used Serbia as a bargaining chip in its dealings with the West.