Both Russia and Serbia have condemned the declaration of Kosovo. The war torn region has seen 10,000 lives lost to bitter battles between separatists.
The capital of Pristina was elated today as thousands of ethnic Albanians celebrated. They waved both U.S. and Albanian flags while chanting KLA!KLA!
“This is the happiest day in my life,” said Mehdi Shehu, 68. “Now we’re free and we can celebrate without fear.”
The Serbians though have vowed that Kosovo is theirs and will not let it go. An explosion at a U.N. building in Kosovo’s north escaped major damage but underscores the threat of violence as this new nation begins.
16,000 NATO peacekeepers still guard the country.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Kosovo’s independence will to a dangerous precedent for “frozen conflicts” across the former Soviet Union. Both Chechnya and Georgia are attempting to gain their own independence.
Serbia has threatened to downgrade relations with any government that recognized the claim of independence of Kosovo.
As different parts of the world struggle as to where they stand with the newly formed nation the people of Kosovo choose to revel in their freedom.
“We, the democratically elected leaders of our people, hereby declare Kosovo to be an independent and sovereign state,” the proclamation read.
“From today onwards, Kosovo is proud, independent and free,” said Prime Minister Hashim Thaci, a former KLA leader. “We never lost faith in the dream that one day we would stand among the free nations of the world, and today we do.”
“Our hopes have never been higher,” he said. “Dreams are infinite, our challenges loom large, but nothing can deter us from moving forward to the greatness that history has reserved for us.”
