Slobodan Milosevic in the Diplomatic Treatment during the Kosovo War Period, during Talks in the British Parliament, 1998–1999 (Abridged)

Abstract

The war in Kosovo, the final internal conflict of the Yugoslav Federation, captured the attention of Europe, particularly the United Kingdom. Parliamentary sessions extensively debated the war, with Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic as the central figure, assigning him primary responsibility for the crisis. The British government, led by Prime Minister Tony Blair, elevated the Kosovo events to a foreign policy priority, shifting its focus from Globalism to addressing the ethnic problem in Kosovo. Blair was among the first European politicians to publicly state in the House of Commons that Milosevic was carrying out ethnic cleansing. Despite close British-American cooperation, London viewed the conflict as a continental issue requiring a European resolution. While effectively a war criminal, British policy maintained that Milosevic should only be formally labeled a criminal following judgment by the Hague Tribunal. The significance of Milosevic’s treatment is evident in the government-opposition debates, which confronted differing evaluations of his actions. His ultimate decline is traced from his refusal to sign the Rambouillet Agreement. Attention was also given to the role of Russian diplomacy, which was initially praised under Boris Yeltsin for securing humanitarian intervention but later criticized for providing support to Serbia after the launch of NATO bombings. Slobodan Milosevic, the final major political figure of dictatorial Yugoslavia, received comprehensive analysis in British parliamentary talks.