Konjufca urges EU pressure on Belgrade over Radoicic

Glauk Konjufca, first deputy prime minister and foreign minister in Pristina, is demanding that the European Union press Belgrade to hand Milan Radoicic and the others charged over the Banjska attack to Kosovo’s judiciary. He made the demand in an interview with the Hungarian outlet Hungary Insider, which Kosovo Online is now carrying in Serbian translation. In it, Konjufca puts two Serbian episodes side by side: a statement by Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Ivica Dacic, and Radoicic’s appearance at a pre-election rally of the ruling party.

What did Konjufca link in the interview?

According to Hungary Insider, Konjufca condemned Dacic’s statement that the Serbian flag will fly over Prizren, a city in southern Kosovo, “sooner or later,” and called it proof of Belgrade’s territorial ambitions. He also pointed to Radoicic’s public appearance. Radoicic, a former deputy leader of the Serbian List party, has admitted organizing the armed group in Banjska in September 2023. The same outlet reports that Radoicic was seen at the rally alongside Danilo Vucic, the son of Aleksandar Vucic. Only the Hungarian outlet reports that detail.

The minister’s conclusion reads:

These events point to a continuous pattern of territorial revisionism, carried out through political intimidation and attempts to destabilize the functioning of our state. The threat to the Republic of Kosovo is real, and the international community must understand the seriousness of this pattern.

As the interview describes it, Konjufca also pointed to the long political relationship between Radoicic and Aleksandar Vucic, who has praised him publicly on several occasions. Belgrade denies any state involvement in the Banjska attack, and Radoicic claims he acted on his own. The government in Pristina, for its part, has long maintained that Serbian state structures backed the attack. The indictment from Kosovo’s Special Prosecution describes an organized operation aimed at annexing northern Kosovo to Serbia, and alleges that military infrastructure in Serbia was used to train the group.

What does Pristina want from the European Union?

The minister expects concrete steps. He recalled that the European Parliament called for targeted restrictive measures against Radoicic in 2023, and said that call should now become decisions. He told Hungary Insider:

We expect the European Union to exert decisive pressure on Belgrade so that Radoicic and the other accused perpetrators are handed over to the judicial authorities of the Republic of Kosovo.

Konjufca sees the lack of accountability as part of a larger picture. According to the Kosovo Online translation, he said that “this continuous political protection and deliberate absence of accountability show how deeply those responsible for armed aggression are rooted in Serbia’s political establishment.” He added a line in English that sums up the demand: “Justice for Banjska is essential to preventing further aggression and establishing lasting security in our region.” In other words, without justice for Banjska there will be no lasting security in the region.

Does the minister expect a new conflict?

Asked whether renewed armed conflict is a real possibility, Konjufca said his government takes the danger seriously, “knowing the devastating consequences of war.” He named two signs of serious escalation: a new massing of Serbian combat forces near Kosovo’s borders, or an armed attack on Kosovo’s territory and critical infrastructure. The answer, he said, calls for credible deterrence, a strong KFOR presence and coordination with the United States and European partners. At the same time, he stressed that Pristina remains committed to diplomacy and peaceful relations with its neighbors.

In that part of the interview, the Hungarian outlet recalls the events after Banjska. A Kosovo police sergeant, Afrim Bunjaku, was killed in the attack, and three members of the attacking group died in the exchange of fire. In the days that followed, Hungary Insider writes, Serbia deployed tanks, artillery and mechanized infantry along the border with Kosovo, which drew a public warning from the White House, and NATO then reinforced KFOR. That description is the Hungarian outlet’s own account, not a direct quote from Konjufca.

Konjufca also restated his position on status: “Serbia, however, still claims that our country is part of its territory, while we have no territorial claims against any neighbor.”

What else did the interview cover?

The interview did not stop at security. According to Hungary Insider, the minister also discussed the new government of Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar, a possible larger role for Budapest in the Western Balkans, and Kosovo’s efforts to obtain EU candidate status, along with its goals on NATO and wider international recognition. Hungary recognized Kosovo’s independence in March 2008, and Hungarian troops have served in KFOR for years.

Serbia’s response to Konjufca’s claims does not appear in the coverage of the interview that our editors have read.