UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, September 15, 2025

Albanian Language Media:

James Rubin begins testimony as defence witness in the Hague (media)
Krasniqi: Rubin’s testimony confirms justice of Kosovo’s liberation war (media)
US Embassy: We need a committed partner that understands the need to avoid destabilizing actions (media)
Krasniqi-Goodman: KLA were the saviors of my life (media)
Maliqi reacts to SL mentioning Radoicic at start of election campaign (media)
Stojkovic: Vucic using Radoicic and his terrorist group for security (media)
Jasharaj: No strikes or protests until formation of new government (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Grozdan Bisevac: "First the people, then the law" - a warning to Rasic's statement on integration of healthcare and education (KiM radio, KoSSev)
Serbian Democracy starts campaign in Prizren (Radio KIM)
Serbia, Republika Srpska celebrate Day of Serb Unity, Freedom and Flag (N1)
Assistant DefMin: Serbia leads region in armaments, 6,000 troops to participate in parade (N1)
KLA flag at Serbian Embassy in The Hague (FoNet, Danas, Tanjug, RTS, Kosovo Online)
OSCE Chairperson-in-Office to pay visits to Belgrade, Pristina today and tomorrow (Kosovo Online, media)
US Embassy on Kosovo Government: We need a partner who understands need to avoid destabilizing actions (Kosovo Online, Radio KIM, KoSSev)

International:

Kosovo’s ex-president ‘was not in charge’ during war, former US official tells trial (AP)
Deadlock in Kosovo parliament overshadows upcoming local elections (BIRN)
US blames Kosovo’s Kurti after suspending ‘Strategic Dialogue’ (BIRN)
Former Yugoslav shelters reimagined as art and residency space in Prishtina (PI)
EU launches grant for Albania–Kosovo green, tourism projects (SeeNews)

Albanian Language Media

James Rubin begins testimony as defence witness in the Hague (media)

The leading story in all news websites today is the start of the testimony by James Rubin, former U.S. assistant secretary of state for public affairs in the Clinton administration from 1997 to 2000, as a witness of the defense team of former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci in the trial against former KLA leaders in the Hague.

Telegrafi reports that during his testimony, Rubin said that he had returned to Kosovo in June 1999 because of negotiations for the demilitarization of the Kosovo Liberation Army. “Madame Albright told me to go to Kosovo and make sure that Thaci would sign the agreement. While we discussed the demilitarization of the KLA, I did not stay in Kosovo, but in a hotel in Skopje and from there they would send me with vars every day to meet Thaci. It was the end of June 1999,” he said.

Rubin said that Thaci did not have competencies and that he was not responsible for decisions within the KLA. “He didn’t have the ability or competence to make decisions for the KLA. He had more of the role of a Foreign Minister, he was the face of the KLA,” he said.

Rubin argued that the KLA commanders made the decisions. “I met with the commanders myself and I saw their relations with Hashim Thaci. They would tell Thaci what to do and not the other way around,” he said.

Rubin is quoted as saying in Koha that Thaci was not in a position to make decisions without consulting others. “He was a person that was tasked to communicate with us by the Kosovar leadership at the time. We did not understand completely how the commanding structure functioned, but it was clear to us that he did not have the authority or ability to dictate anything, but he simply conveyed the decisions that were made by the hidden office of the Albanian leadership that made group decisions and who were not always present. So he had to get their permission. He could not decide by himself. He was not in a position to dictate rules and conditions. So when we wanted something very important to be done, he had to communicate with other people to get their approval,” he said.

Radio Free Europe reports that Rubin said that most of the critical information he received during the Kosovo war concerned Serbian troop movements. Questioned by Kadri Veseli’s defense lawyer about whether he relied on reports from Shaun Byrnes, head of the U.S. Diplomatic Observer Mission in Kosovo at the time, Rubin confirmed that Byrnes was a trusted and accurate resource.

Asked if he obtained information directly from the Kosovo Liberation Army, Rubin replied ‘probably not’, explaining that intelligence in the KLA mainly came through diplomatic and intelligence channels with contacts among Kosovo Albanians. “The war was unfolding. The KLA took the fate of its people into its own hands. The KLA acted, and Serbia responded,” Rubin said, stressing that U.S. attention was centered on Serbian military actions.

Asked by Kadri Veseli’s lawyer Rodney Dixon, for the justification of the international intervention in Kosovo, Rubin said that after Bosnia, where terrible crimes had happened, the aim was to defend civilians and to prevent the repetition of that horror. According to him, Kosovo Albanians were being killed only for being Albanians. “We wanted to be on the victims’ side. They were not only oppressed, but they were being massacred,” he said. “The aim was for the people to be free and not follow the policies of their oppressor,” he added.

During his testimony, Rubin said he does not recall former Secretary of State Madeline Albright ever telling Hashim Thaci he would bear criminal responsibility for crimes committed in Kosovo after KFOR’s deployment. Rubin clarified that while Albright understood the importance of investigating war crimes, the focus was on ensuring that individuals responsible for violence were punished, not on assigning collective blame. Rubin added that Albright had urged Thaci to show tolerance and encourage his people to do the same, emphasizing that justice would handle individual accountability for any acts of violence.

Nacionale reports that when asked about Slobodan Milosevic’s disinformation campaigns and whether they were taken from the textbook of the Russian Federation, Rubin said his 25-year-experience told him yes. “For two and a half years (during the Biden administration) I had access to different kinds of intelligence about the methods of Russian disinformation. Combined with my long experience during the 1990s, the 2000s and until 2010, I reached the conclusion that all the allegations for these crimes and murders are Russian campaigns followed and sponsored by Russian-Serb organizations,” he argued.

Asked if the late US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright ever told Thaci that he would bear responsibility for any eventual crimes after the deployment of KFOR, Rubin said: “absolutely not”. “I don’t remember any such statement, but I would like to say one thing that she wanted to communicate: the tolerance that she would want Thaci to show, but the legal details about which you asked me,” he said.

Sinjali highlights Rubin’s remarks that “we found no evidence that the KLA leaders had planned or attempted killings”.

Krasniqi: Rubin’s testimony confirms justice of Kosovo’s liberation war (media)

Memli Krasniqi, leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), hailed former U.S. diplomat James Rubin’s testimony at The Hague in defense of former president of Kosovo Hashim Thaci, and his fellow wartime commanders, calling it a powerful affirmation of Kosovo’s just struggle for freedom.

In a Facebook post, Krasniqi described Rubin’s words as “an act of truth” grounded in the clear conscience of a long-time friend of Kosovo. He said Rubin’s testimony rejects the prosecution’s accusations and underscores the liberation war’s purpose of peace and freedom.

Krasniqi added that Albanians worldwide seek only justice. “With the United States at our side, and in no other way, Kosovo has managed to overcome every challenge,” he stated.

US Embassy: We need a committed partner that understands the need to avoid destabilizing actions (media)

The US Embassy in Kosovo said today that it wants to move forward with the caretaker government but that it needs a dedicated partner that understands the need to avoid destabilizing actions. “The US will always be a close friend of the people of Kosovo, and we are fully committed to our partnership. The US encourages partners to work constructively to ensure stability and security. We want to move forward with the caretaker government, but we need a partner that understands the need to avoid destabilizing actions and that is committed to pushing forward regional stability and protecting the rights of all citizens of Kosovo. We will continue to assess the actions of the caretaker government. We have nothing more to add at this point,” the embassy said in a statement to several news websites.

Krasniqi-Goodman: KLA were the saviors of my life (media)

Several news websites report that Vasfije Krasniqi-Goodman, a survivor of sexual violence from the war in Kosovo, shared in a Facebook post today her horrible experience in April 1999 and how fighters of the Kosovo Liberation Army came to her aid. “After what I had experienced on April 14, 1999, there was little or no hope for me. Found an entire area surrounded by Serbian forces, I did not believe I would escape alive. As a victim, I felt broken and helpless. In that dark time, when everything seemed to be coming to an end, there came the fighters of the Kosovo Liberation Army. I will never forget that moment! They offered me first aid, cared as much as they could for my life and health. For me, for us, the KLA was not just a military force, but they were rescuers, protectors of the people who put themselves as the shield of our troops, they gave their lives so that we could continue with our lives. I never forget those days! It will forever remain in my memory as moments when I felt the protection of my life with their life. Thank you eternally, to the Liberation Army of Kosovo!” Krasniqi wrote.

Maliqi reacts to SL mentioning Radoicic at start of election campaign (media)

Several news websites cover a Facebook post by political commentator and nonresident senior fellow at Atlantic Council, Agon Maliqi, reacting to the Serbian List mentioning Milan Radoicic at the start of their election campaign. “The Serbian List has started the campaign with messages of support for ‘Brother Milan’. This ‘brother Milan’ and his gang were so dangerous that they were dismantled in a day by the Kosovo Police and NATO. He will never again set foot in Kosovo, unless he wants to spend his life in prison. His future is not sure even in Serbia where he lives today as a free bandit. From reliable sources I know that the US and international partners, in addition to red lines for the Kosovo government, have red lines for the Serbian List too to distance themselves from those that have carried out aggression. While this should remain a problem of Serbs and Serbia with internationals, Kosovo meanwhile must not fall prey to provocations and return to a rational course. The more protection there is for the constitutional rights of Serbs, the weaker ‘brother Milan’ and his gangs will be, and the stronger Kosovo’s statehood will be,” Maliqi argued.

Stojkovic: Vucic using Radoicic and his terrorist group for security (media)

Several news websites report that Belgrade-based attorney Cedomir Stojkovic has publicly accused Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic of again engaging Milan Radoicic and his group to provide security at political rallies and at the presidential residence. He said in a social media post that Radoicic and members of his group, which took part in the paramilitary attack in northern Kosovo in September 2023, were filmed at one of Vucic’s rallies. “This is the second time that we see members of the paramilitary organization providing security at Vucic’s political rallies and at his residence … Vucic created a paramilitary group in 2023 for operations in Kosovo and to carry out a Donbas scenario there. Today, he used the same terrorist group to oppress the people and for remaining in power through force and violence,” he argued.

Jasharaj: No strikes or protests until formation of new government (media)

Head of the Union of Education, Science and Culture of Kosovo (SBASHK) Rrahman Jasharaj said in an interview with the news website that they will not hold strikes or protests demanding better working conditions until the formation of a new government. “We are waiting for the formation of new institutions, and we will give dialogue a chance, and if this does not produce results, the Steering Committee will determine the start of union actions, and I cannot say what they will be. The Steering Committee decides, but we have never ruled out that if dialogue fails, there can be union actions or a general strike,” he said.

The main requests of SBASHK are negotiating and signing a new collective contract, increasing the coefficient value, and enforcing the decision of the Constitutional Court to compensate for the work experience, along with other issues related to the rights and conditions of education workers.

Serbian Language Media

Grozdan Bisevac: "First the people, then the law" - a warning to Rasic's statement on integration of healthcare and education (KiM radio, KoSSev)

Grozdan Bisevac from the Civic Initiative "Novo lice - Narodna pravda" for Zubin Potok publicly reacted to the statement of Acting Minister for Communities and Return in the Provisional Kosovo Government, Nenad Rasic, who said at beginning of his campaign for local elections he would do everything to make the transition of healthcare and education into the Kosovo system "absolutely painless", reported KiM radio, citing KoSSev.

"We heard your statement that healthcare and education in Serbian areas will be 'incorporated' into the Kosovo system and that transition will be 'painless'. However, a statement about the procedure without a simultaneous answer to the questions of what will happen to the people leads the community into uncertainty and fear," said Bisevac, warning that integration is not just technical harmonization of regulations, but that it includes lives, salaries, pensions, the right to treatment and education.

He pointed out if only a formal law is adopted, people will remain "in a vacuum without clear rights and without transitional measures", referring to previous problems with the recognition of Serbian identity documents and driver's licenses issued in Kosovo, due to which a large number of residents were in a hopeless situation.

Bisevac specifically warned about health care: "If people working in institutions remain without free health care, you will put many in a hopeless situation. Temporary financial formulas are needed - for example, transitional coverage by the state that pays salaries until a fully functional insurance recognition mechanism is established."

He also suggested involvement of international health organizations for technical assistance.

When it comes to education, Bisevac emphasized children must not be "political collateral" and that the status of teachers and curricula must be defined before incorporation. "Every change must be phased, with consultations with parents and school teams," he said.

At the end of the announcement, Bisevac asked for a clear, written plan with deadlines and international guarantees: "If you are going to incorporate - present a clear plan: what changes, who pays in the transition period, how documents are handled, what are the legal protection mechanisms. Let it be what it is. We are not against changes by default - but we ask that FIRST THE PEOPLE BE CONSIDERED, then the law."

Bisevac called for public consultations to be organized in the North of Kosovo before any legislative step, with detailed protection measures that include financing, recognition of documents, employee rights, access to emergency and regular health care and educational programs.

What did Rasic say?

In a statement to the media, Nenad Rasic said that people "should not be afraid, in any health or education institution, because we will do everything to make the transition process absolutely painless."

He emphasized that the workers in the education and health sector in the north of Kosovo "will be in safe hands" and that the loss of tens or hundreds of employees will not be allowed during the integration into the Kosovo system.

Rasic also reminded that he had previously spoken about the need to integrate Serbian healthcare and education, and that the goal was for the transfer of employees to the Kosovo system to be simple and painless, with a legal basis that would enable a smooth transition.

Serbian Democracy starts campaign in Prizren (Radio KIM)

Serbian Democracy has started a pre-electoral campaign in Prizren, the city they referred to as a heart of our heritage, adding “remain is our strength, and endurance is our vow”, Radio KIM reported.

Choosing Prizren as a place to launch their campaign, Serbian Democracy said this city represents “the symbol of lasting and existence of the Serbian people”. “From this sacred place, where each path and each church preserve centuries-long existence of our people, we are sending a clear message – remain is our strength, and endurance is our vow”, the statement said.

As they added, Prizren is proof that love for one's homeland cannot be extinguished, and urged people to remember "who was the only one standing by your side”. “Until the victory” the Serbian Democracy said at the end of their message.

"Until victory", concludes the message of Serbian Democracy.

Serbia, Republika Srpska celebrate Day of Serb Unity, Freedom and Flag (N1)

On Monday, both Serbia and Republika Srpska are commemorating the Day of Serb Unity, Freedom, and the National Flag. This date marks September 15, 1918, when the Serbian army breached the Thessaloniki Front, an event that led to the collapse of the Central Powers alliance and the end of World War I, N1 reported.

Over the next seven days, various events will be held, including a parliamentary forum and a joint session of the governments of Republika Srpska and Serbia in Belgrade. The commemorations will conclude on September 20 with a military parade outside the Palace of Serbia in Belgrade, reported the Serbian public broadcaster RTS

On September 11, 2020, the Serbian Government decided that September 15, the day the Thessaloniki Front was breached, would from then on be observed as the Day of Serb Unity, Freedom, and the National Flag. The Government of Republika Srpska made an identical decision, N1 recalled.

Assistant DefMin: Serbia leads region in armaments, 6,000 troops to participate in parade (N1)

Serbian Assistant Minister of Defense Nenad Miloradovic said that Serbia is “first in armaments in the Western Balkans” and that 6,000 soldiers will participate in the upcoming military parade, N1 reported.

“Exactly 11 years ago, in 2014, we had a parade in the same location, and in terms of personnel, it was two to three times smaller, which is a direct reflection of the difference in the capabilities of the Serbian Armed Forces then and now”, Miloradovic told the Serbian public broadcaster RTS. He noted that most of the logistical preparations for the military parade are complete, and that it will showcase 19 new types of weaponry, new models of combat vehicles, and drones.

“We will enjoy the sight of a transformed Serbian Armed Forces that has overcome a 25-year period of technological stagnation, leaping into a contemporary, modern, European army of the 21st century”, Miloradovic said. He emphasized that Serbia is a militarily neutral country, but that one of its main advantages is its military industry, which has developed 270 types of new armaments. As part of this year's commemoration of the Serb Unity, Freedom, and National Flag Day, a military parade titled Power of Unity will be organized in Belgrade on Saturday, September 20.

KLA flag at Serbian Embassy in The Hague (FoNet, Danas, Tanjug, RTS, Kosovo Online)

During yesterday's protest by supporters of the Kosovo Liberation Army in The Hague, several people placed the KLA flag at the front door of the Serbian Embassy in that city and insulted employees on a national basis, reported Danas.

As the Embassy told Kosovo Online, the incident happened around 4:00 p.m., when a car was parked in front of the building, from which unknown persons got out, put up the KLA flag, and then left.

Embassy representatives informed the diplomatic police about the incident, which took statements from the employees, as well as the car's license plate number, and as they pointed out, they will launch an investigation and increase their presence near the Embassy building.

The embassy states that today there were hundreds of people and cars with the flags of Albania and the KLA on the streets of The Hague, who, passing by the embassy building, threw various insults.

OSCE Chairperson-in-Office to pay visits to Belgrade, Pristina today and tomorrow (Kosovo Online, media)

OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen will pay visits to Belgrade and Pristina today and tomorrow, the OSCE said in a statement, Kosovo Online portal reported. She will meet Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric in Belgrade today.

As the statement said, Valtonen will discuss regional security issues with her interlocutors in Belgrade. Djuric and Valtonen will meet at 15.20 today and following the meeting an address to the media will follow.

According to OSCE Valtonen will visit offices of OSCE missions in Belgrade and Pristina, and will also meet civil society organizations in both cities. In Belgrade she will meet the Centre of Youth Integration, and in Pristina the Dialogue Academy Network Alumni members.

US Embassy on Kosovo Government: We need a partner who understands need to avoid destabilizing actions (Kosovo Online, Radio KIM, KoSSev)

The U.S. Embassy in Kosovo said it wants to move forward with the current government but added that it needs a committed partner who understands the importance of avoiding destabilizing actions, Serbian media reported citing Pristina-based Koha.

In a response to Koha, the U.S. Embassy said that Chargé d’Affaires Anu Pratipati conveyed U.S. concerns and positions during regular meetings with the acting Prime Minister, Albin Kurti.

“The United States will always be a close friend of the people of Kosovo, and we are fully committed to our partnership. However, the United States encourages partners to work constructively in order to ensure stability and security. We want to move forward with the government in a technical mandate, but we need a partner who understands the need to avoid destabilizing actions and who is committed to advancing regional stability and protecting the rights of all Kosovo’s citizens. We will continue to evaluate the actions of the current government. We have nothing further to add on this matter”, the Embassy said.

The Embassy did not comment on the meetings Pratipati held with opposition leaders, the media report added.

International

Kosovo’s ex-president ‘was not in charge’ during war, former US official tells trial (AP)

Former U.S. State Department spokesman James Rubin testified Monday as the first defense witness for Hashim Thaçi, the former president of Kosovo, who is accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed during his country’s 1998-99 war for independence from Serbia.

Thaçi is on trial at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers court in The Hague with three other former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army guerilla group that fought Serb forces in the war. They are widely regarded as national heroes in their homeland.

Rubin was with former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright at peace talks in France in 1999 and later was present at negotiations to disarm the Kosovo Liberation Army, also known as the KLA. He described Thaçi as a political “front man” for the force, without real power.

“It was clear to me that he was not in charge,” Rubin told the court. “He didn’t have the knowledge, the capabilities or the authority to make decisions in any way, shape or form.”

Thaçi rose to political power after the war but resigned as president to defend himself against charges he faces along with Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi, including murder, persecution, torture and enforced disappearances.

The trial opened April 3, 2023, with Thaçi — known as “The Snake” during the war — telling judges he was innocent. Prosecutors wrapped up their case after calling 125 witnesses.

Prosecution lawyers argued at the trial’s opening that they were not putting on trial either the Kosovo Liberation Army or the war for independence.

“These four accused are on trial in respect of their personal responsibility for crimes committed against persons who they viewed as opponents, a majority of whom were in fact their fellow Kosovo Albanians,” prosecution lawyer Clare Lawson told judges.

Most of the 13,000 people who died in the war were ethnic Albanians. The fighting was ended by a 78-day campaign of NATO air strikes against Serbian forces.