Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said in an interview that Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence was a mistake as was the EU's recognition of it. In an interview with Russian state news agency RIA Novosti on Monday, May 5, Schroeder said the declaration had come too early and was thus wrong. It had created new problems without solving old ones, he said. The European Union had succumbed to pressure from the United States on the Kosovo issue. While recognizing Kosovo may benefit US interests, Schroeder said, it was definitely not in Europe's interests.
In an interview with Russian state news agency RIA Novosti on Monday, May 5, Schroeder said the declaration had come too early and was thus wrong.
It had created new problems without solving old ones, he said.
The European Union had succumbed to pressure from the United States on the Kosovo issue. While recognizing Kosovo may benefit US interests, Schroeder said, it was definitely not in Europe's interests.
there were no good outcomes and the least worst were fairly bloody, but when we remember that the worst outcomes include burning houses, mass refugees and groups of men & boys being herded into woods never to be seen again I'd say I think it's "worked" so far. keep to the Fen Causeway
Maybe it would not have worked anyway, but fanning the flames directly (at the cost of numerous precedents of international law breach) is irresponsible - and is predictably stoking tensions with Russia: but maybe that was the real goal. In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
The current situation on the ground was not in a crisis mode.
At that particular moment in time, yes that's true. But the trend was looking bad and there's not many good recent precedents in that area to call on to reassure anybody that the lack of crisis would continue.
So it was a case of do something or do nothing. We've tried "do nothing" in that region before and it didn't work out well. We can argue for ever and a day, and god knows I feel like I have, about what actions might have been for the best, but it comes back to the problem there isn't a best, just a range of "least worst". What we did was amongst the range of least worst. keep to the Fen Causeway
