Seventeen years ago, the parliament of the self-proclaimed “Republic of Kosovo” unilaterally declared independence. This act was carried out under the patronage of NATO and several European Union member states, in blatant violation of international law and the principle of the inviolability of state borders.
This event represents nothing more than the triumph of force over law. NATO waged a brutal 78-day bombing campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to support the separatist ambitions of Albanian nationalists who sought to detach Kosovo and Metohija from Serbia. This aggression resulted in numerous innocent victims, and the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) committed horrific crimes against the Serbian people and other non-Albanian communities. The KLA also targeted Albanians who remained loyal citizens of Yugoslavia and opposed separatism.
At the same time, we do not deny that Serbian paramilitary formations, as well as certain members of the regular army and police, committed war crimes against Albanians. All crimes, regardless of the perpetrators, deserve condemnation, and those responsible must be held accountable.
The Kumanovo Agreement of 1999, signed under imperialist coercion, paved the way for NATO’s occupation of Kosovo, leading to devastating consequences for all its inhabitants. The continued presence of NATO forces remains a major obstacle to a just and lasting solution.
All peoples and national minorities residing in Kosovo—Serbs, Montenegrins, Albanians, Turks, Bosniaks, Roma, and others—should live together as equals, in harmony and solidarity. No new states or pseudo-state entities can be established in Kosovo. Instead, the region should have an administrative autonomy within the Republic of Serbia. This can only be achieved when NATO’s occupying forces permanently withdraw from the southern Serbian province.
Furthermore, we emphasize that for years, Serbian media and even official state representatives have misled the public by promoting the illusion that former U.S. President Donald Trump would suddenly change American policy on Kosovo. This was nothing more than political deception aimed at short-term domestic interests. History has shown that neither the U.S. nor any imperialist power has ever voluntarily relinquished control over a previously occupied territory.
The New Communist Party of Yugoslavia remains committed to the principles of sovereignty, self-determination, and the fight against imperialism. We stand in solidarity with all those resisting occupation and oppression, and we reaffirm our unwavering stance against NATO’s aggression and imperialist hegemony.
