Balkans expert at the Leibniz Institute for East and Southeast European Studies in Regensburg, Konrad Clewing, said that Kosovo should join NATO, as only in this way there can be a guarantee of security towards Serbia. In an interview, he warns EU not to make with Kosovo the same mistakes as with Ukraine.

"In the short term I don't see a particular threat, because the NATO-led KFOR can stabilize the situation for the moment. But I see a big problem in the fact that the description of KFOR's mission, which derives from a resolution of the UN of 1999, does not include the protection of Kosovo's external security at all. The main task is to create a peaceful environment and freedom of movement within Kosovo. But, in the long run, these two points are not enough to resolve the state of conflict between Serbia and Kosovo. And this is the reason why a well-thought-out and stable solution must be found to guarantee the external security of Kosovo. And I see this only in the perspective of Kosovo's membership in NATO. 

In my scenario, Kosovo would go towards NATO and have security guarantees against Serbia. And under these circumstances, there will no longer be a need for Serbia to officially recognize Kosovo, because it cannot do anything that would endanger the existence of the state of Kosovo. And when the perspective of the Western Balkans' membership in the EU becomes tangible, I don't think that Serbia will have any more interest in orienting itself towards Russia," he said.