Wrote: Festim Rizanaj
The issue of elections in Kosovo took place at a press conference by the spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova.
In her appearance before reporters On October 17, she was asked about the local elections held on October 12 in Kosovo.
Journalists asked her to comment on the potential impact of the fact that the Serbian List won in 9 municipalities without a runoff. in the development of the political situation, asking whether this result could mean the restoration of Serbian control over northern Kosovo.
Zakharova's statement translated into Albanian:
“Question: On October 12, Kosovo held municipal elections. How could the success of the Serbian List influence the development of the situation and can we talk about the restoration of Serbian control in northern Kosovo?
Maria Zakharova: First of all, it should be remembered under what conditions the Serbian List, the main party of Kosovo Serbs, participated in the elections. Attempts were made to deny its registration, its representatives were excluded from territorial election commissions, while journalists from Serbian-language media were not allowed to enter polling stations. In the so-called “parliament” of Kosovo, the Albanians, in gross violation of legal procedures, promoted a “Serbian puppet” loyal to Pristina and the acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti to the position of “deputy speaker of the assembly”, although he did not have a mandate to represent the non-Albanian population living in this region.
Despite these circumstances and great pressure, the Serbian List acted with dignity and won convincingly in nine out of ten municipalities with a Serb majority. We are talking about an important step that will help Serbs regain control over the northern areas, where power had been usurped by self-proclaimed Albanian mayors since May 2023. There is no doubt that Albin Kurti will try to undermine this result, and it is time to expect new provocations from Kosovars before the second round on November 9.
The massive support that the Serbian List received demonstrates the high and sustained trust that Kosovo Serbs have in Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Belgrade's course of protecting the interests of their compatriots in the country's southern provinces.
Zakharova's response noted narratives similar to those disseminated by Russian media outlets such as "Russia Today Balkans" and "Sputnik Serbia", which usually emphasize the legitimacy of Serbian structures in northern Kosovo and present the elections as evidence of the will of the Serbian people "to protect themselves from pressure from Pristina".
Zakharova's narratives on local elections in Kosovo
From the response of the Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, on October 17, 2025, regarding the results of the municipal elections in Kosovo, the main Russian narratives can be deduced as follows:
The elections were held under pressure and censorship (victimization): The Serbian List went to the elections under “difficult conditions and great pressure,” including “attempts to deny its registration,” “exclusion of representatives” from commissions, and the denial of Serbian journalists access to polling stations. This positions the Serbian community as a victim of Kosovo institutions.
Restoring usurped control (legitimizing victory): The victory of the Serbian List in nine out of ten municipalities with a Serb majority constitutes an "important step" that will help Serbs "regain their control over the northern areas", where power had been "usurped" by Albanian mayors since May 2023. This presents the victory of the Serbian List as a restoration of legal order.
Albin Kurti as a threat and cause of instability: Kurti is accused of procedural violations, promoting a “Serbian puppet loyal to Pristina” to the position of Deputy Speaker of Parliament, without a legitimate mandate from the non-Albanian population. Kurti is also expected to “attempt to undermine” the LS victory and cause “new provocations” before the second round.
Loyalty and support to Belgrade (Vučić's legitimization): Support for the Serbian List demonstrates the "consistently high trust" of Kosovo Serbs in Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and in Belgrade's course of protecting the interests of "compatriots in the southern province."
Comparing narratives with Russian media, “RT Balkan” and “Sputnik Serbia”
Comparing these two levels of communication reveals a synchronized and strategic line: The media did the work of preparing the ground by emphasizing the "pressure" and "usurpation" of power., while Russian diplomacy transformed these claims into official arguments to condemn the Kosovo Government and legitimize the role of the Serbian List and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.
Elections under terror and pressure: “RT Balkan” and “Sputnik” emphasized that the process was taking place under “pressure and censorship” from Kosovo. Zakharova confirmed this, specifically citing “attempts to deny registration” to the Serbian List and “the denial of Serbian journalists to polling stations,” positioning the Serbian community as a victim. It should be noted here that the Central Election Commission (CEC) had initially refused to accredit journalists from Serbian-language media outlets, but there was also an Albanian-language media outlet among them. Later, this institution overturned the previous decision, accrediting journalists from these media outlets to monitor the October 12 election process.
Restoring usurped control: Russian media called the victory an opportunity to “liberate the usurped municipalities.” Zakharova used the same term “usurped” to describe the leadership of elected Albanian mayors after 2023, proclaiming the Serb List victory as an “important step” to “regain control.”
Kurti, antagonistic threat: Both Russian media and Zakharova focused on Albin Kurti as the main source of destabilization. The Russian spokeswoman accused Kurti of procedural violations and warned of “new provocations” ahead of the November 9 runoff, holding the government responsible for potential tensions.
Vučić's legitimization: The victory of the Serbian List was directly linked by Zakharova to the “consistently high trust” of Kosovo Serbs in Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Belgrade’s course. This served to legitimize Serbia’s policy as the sole defender of Serbian interests in Kosovo.
Essentially, the comparison shows a unified narrative strategy where Russian media prepare the ground with accusations of victimization and illegitimacy, which are then formalized by the Russian Foreign Ministry. This positions Moscow in unwavering support for the action of Belgrade and the Serbian List, using the electoral process as a platform to challenge the legitimacy of Kosovo’s institutions.
Analyze:
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, responding to media questions on October 17, 2025, confirmed and reinforced the main narratives that had been disseminated by Russian media platforms, "RT Balkan" and "Sputnik Serbia", throughout the campaign for local elections in Kosovo.
She began her response by emphasizing that the elections were held under “great pressure” and “procedural violations” from Kosovo, accusations that were the mainstay of Russian media coverage of attempted censorship and obstruction of the Serbian List.
Zakharova, like the Russian media, interpreted the Serbian List result as an "important step" to "regain control" of the "usurped" power in the north, positioning the incumbent Prime Minister Albin Kurti as an antagonist and source of "new provocations."
This direct narrative line, which culminated in the emphasis on the “high trust” of Serbs in Serbian President Vučić, shows a strategic synchronization: Russian media did the work of preparing the ground by emphasizing victimization, while Russian diplomacy transformed these claims into official statements.