Albin Kurti, the Prime Minister of Kosovo's interim institutions, was misled by Russian pranksters who posed as Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs. During the phone conversation, Kurti reportedly expressed his belief that the West should increase its support for the opposition in Serbia to facilitate a regime change that would lead Serbia to recognize Kosovo.

Under the impression that he was speaking with a NATO leader, Kurti confirmed his view that ongoing protests in Serbia were part of a Western plan to oust President Aleksandar Vučić.

He criticized the lack of sufficient backing for the democratic opposition in Serbia amid these protests and suggested that the West must exert more pressure on Belgrade.

Kurti's remarks included assertions that the current Serbian government is pro-Russian, arguing that a change in leadership is necessary for Serbia to recognize Kosovo.

He alleged that Serbia, in coordination with Russia, is conducting a hybrid war against Kosovo and claimed that the Kosovo opposition is allegedly working in collusion with Belgrade.

Furthermore, Kurti outlined the priorities for Kosovo, which include the lifting of EU sanctions and aspirations for membership in the Council of Europe and NATO, while acknowledging that EU membership would take longer to achieve.

He mentioned that Kosovo is procuring arms from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Croatia and intends to establish a munitions factory.

Kurti emphasized Kosovo's preparations to join NATO, conveying a message to Serbia about the necessity for restraint due to historical conflicts.

In relation to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, he urged the West to send more weapons and ammunition to Ukraine, expressing the view that peace in Europe is unattainable as long as Russia persists in its expansionist policies.

He lamented the missed opportunities over the last three years regarding substantial support for Ukraine and stated that the situation might still change positively.

Additionally, Kurti compared the support the U.S. provided to Afghanistan against the Soviet Union with the need to arm Ukraine in its struggle against Russian aggression.

In his remarks, Kurti also addressed the rise of 'right-wing populism' in countries like Slovakia and Romania, which do not recognize the self-proclaimed independence of Kosovo, attributing this trend to hybrid warfare and misinformation.

He criticized Richard Grenell, the special envoy of the U.S. president, whom he accused of undermining him in 2020, alleging that Grenell's recognition in Belgrade reflects bias.

The pranksters, Vladimir Aleksandrovič Kuznjetsov (Vovan) and Aleksej Vladimirovič Stoljarov (Leksus), have a history of successfully deceiving Western political figures by posing as their counterparts.

Earlier in March, they engaged in similar antics with the self-proclaimed High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Christian Schmidt.