Vučić on CNN denied Kurti's claims and avoided answering whether he recognizes Kosovo

(Patria) - Speaking for the American CNN, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić rejected the claims made by Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti earlier during his appearance on the same television.

Vučić denied Kurti's claims that he is "behind fascist gangs in the north of Kosovo", stating that Serbs have implemented all agreements, while Kurti has not and will not implement the community of Serb municipalities.

Vučić called the elections held by Kurti "shameful", and then accused him of saying that all Serbs are "fascists".

He added that since Kurti came to power, 353 ethnically motivated attacks have been recorded.

When asked by the CNN journalist if there were pressures and blackmail to boycott the elections, Vučić said that the Serbs from the north decided on their own - "since 2013 they have participated in four election cycles, but because of Kurti, they did not want to now".

When asked how to de-escalate the crisis, Vučić stated that Pristina has destabilized the situation, and that he regrets that NATO soldiers were injured. The question for Vučić was also whether he has control over the demonstrators, to which he replied that he does not, but that they will "always respect Serbia's decisions".

He emphasized that it is important to maintain stability in the Western Balkans "because Serbia is a leader in the economy and foreign investments".

The journalist also asked him what needs to happen for him to recognize Kosovo, and Vučić replied that Serbia is working on "normalization", avoiding offering her a direct answer.

One of the questions was also whether he recognizes Kosovo as an independent state, to which he said that Serbia is for compromise.

Since he mobilized the army, the journalist asked what his red line is? Vučić answered her that he is satisfied with the reaction of the USA and French President Emmanuel Macron, that he respects all agreements and that they did not enter Kosovo with soldiers.

He also praised NATO for professionally performing its duties in Kosovo.

At the end, the CNN journalist offered him to send a message to the demonstrators in the north of Kosovo, and he asked them to remain calm, and called on the international community to oppose "those who are escalating the situation".