Russian and Serbian officials have continued to spread narratives against Kosovo’s statehood, even on the 17th anniversary of Kosovo’s independence. On the day of celebrations in Kosovo, Serbia’s Foreign Minister, Marko Gjuric, visited Moscow, where he met with his Russian counterpart. Kosovo was mentioned in their joint press conference, with their statements also being broadcast by local media in the north of the country.
On February 17, 2025, “Kosovo Online” published an article titled: “Gjuric: Today, international law was violated; Lavrov: Support for Serbia on the Kosovo issue.” Their statements were also shared by “Politika.rs”.
“On this day 17 years ago, in the case of Serbia, in Kosovo and M, international law was violated. There was an illegal, unilateral declaration of the so-called Kosovo, in contradiction with international law, UN Security Council Resolution 1244, and against the will of the majority of Serbian citizens, who were never consulted through a referendum. Even in Kosovo and M, there has been no such declaration to this day,” said Gjuric. Lavrov added that Russia will continue to support Serbia regarding Kosovo. “We discussed aspects of joint work in the UN and other multilateral organizations. I reaffirmed Russia’s readiness to support Serbia’s legitimate international legal interests concerning Kosovo and to make it a priority topic in the UN Security Council,” stated Lavrov.
However, the International Court of Justice’s ruling on the legality of Kosovo’s declaration of independence contradicts the claims made by Russian and Serbian officials.
On July 22, 2010, following Serbia’s request, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an advisory opinion concluding that Kosovo’s declaration of independence on February 17, 2008, did not violate international law.
Kosovo’s case in international law, as defined by Martti Ahtisaari, is considered “sui generis”. Despite this, based on Article 96 of the UN Charter and Article 65 of the ICJ Statute, Serbia requested the Court to provide an advisory opinion on the question: “Is the unilateral Declaration of Independence, proclaimed by Kosovo’s self-governing institutions, in accordance with international law?”
After hearing arguments from Kosovo, Serbia, and other states both supporting and opposing independence, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concluded that “the Declaration of Independence does not violate general international law,” thus affirming the legitimacy of Kosovo’s independence from the perspective of international law. This is not the first time Russian and Serbian officials have denied Kosovo’s statehood, despite its recognition by over 100 countries and membership in numerous international organizations. Russian officials frequently use the Kosovo issue to promote a narrative that portrays U.S. interventions, particularly as Kosovo’s ally, as setting destabilizing precedents in the international order. This stance was reiterated on September 24, 2024, when Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed that Kosovo’s independence was declared without a referendum. On the same day, Kremlin spokesperson Maria Zakharova also called Kosovo’s independence illegitimate.
*This article is published as part of the Western Balkans Regional Initiative against disinformation. “Western Balkans Anti-Disinformation Hub: exposing malign influences through watchdog journalism.”
