Wrote: Festim Rizanaj
The claim published in the title of an article from the Serbian-language media outlet "Kurir.rs" that the US is threatening Pristina with the severance of bilateral relations, due to the closure of Serbian social care centers in Kosovo.
The article speculates that this action is the "last resort" and raises the question of whether the US will move from words to concrete actions against the Kosovo government.
Yes, this is an unfounded claim, as the US has not threatened to sever bilateral relations with Kosovo. So far, no official statement from Washington supports this claim.
What does the article published in "Kurir.rs" claim?
The "Kurir.rs" article refers to the US reaction regarding the closure of Serbian social care centers in northern Kosovo, while its interlocutors comment that "This could be a warning of a change in American policy towards Pristina."
However, "Kurir.rs" presented this stance as a US threat to sever bilateral relations with Kosovo, placing this unfounded claim in the article's title.
What does the US embassy say?
The US Embassy in Kosovo has expressed its concern over the sudden and uncoordinated closure of Serbian-run Social Work Centers in the northern part of the country.
in a post on the "X" platform, the Embassy emphasizes that such actions negatively affect thousands of Kosovo citizens and bilateral relations.
"These and similar actions harm the citizens of Kosovo and risk creating harmful consequences for the country's future in Europe, as well as for our bilateral relations.", it says in her response.
The US Embassy statement does not mention a threat to sever bilateral relations between the US and Kosovo. The embassy expresses concern about the sudden closure of social centers and emphasizes that such actions can have harmful consequences, but there is no reference to a breakdown in bilateral relations.
The claim published by "Kurir.rs" that the US is threatening to sever bilateral relations is a manipulative interpretation of the statement.
Analyze:
Serbian medium Kurir.rs has reported that the US is threatening Kosovo with the severance of bilateral relations after the closure of Serbian social care centers in the north.
In its statement, the US Embassy in Kosovo expressed concern about this action, noting that it could have harmful consequences for citizens and bilateral relations. However, no part of the statement mentions or suggests the severance of US-Kosovo relations.
Based on its work methodology, hibrid.info considers this claim to be "manipulation of fact".
Reasoning:
“Factual manipulation” is a rating given to informational content that uses facts known to be accurate but interprets them in a distorted manner. These reports typically use accurate information to draw incorrect conclusions or claims, thereby misleading consumers of media content about the actual meaning of the facts presented.