After marathon negotiations in North Macedonia, the highest representatives of Serbia and Kosovo made considerable progress towards settling their hostile relationship. The planned agreement states that Belgrade will not recognize Kosovo under international law, but will take note of the statehood of its former province. Kosovo, in turn, will institutionally guarantee the rights of ethnic Serbs in the country. While both parties had verbally agreed on a principle of agreement in Brussels, on Saturday, attention was focused on the specific deadlines that appear in the annex of the agreement to apply its points. However, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic did not want to sign the agreement reached, citing concerns related to potential political risks. Meanwhile, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti is facing pressure from the population and the Kosovar Albanian electorate, which rejects concessions to the ethnic Serbs. The resolution of the Kosovo conflict is of new relevance for the West amidst the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Moscow takes advantage of weaknesses in the political order of various Balkan states to exert its influence while Serbia depends on Russia to prevent Kosovo’s admission to the world organization with its veto in the UN Security Council.