Dear citizens of Serbia and my fellow Serbs living in Kosovo,

It has come to my attention that private messages are being sent to members of the Republican Party, asking if I am in favor of an independent Kosovo. As the President of the Republican Party, I feel it is my duty to publicly state that, yes, I am in favor of an independent Kosovo. I stated this in 2015 in Tirana, in front of more than 40 different TV representatives. This is why I was banned from all media in Serbia, as my reasoning was deemed too rational and justified.

I believe that by only offering one option, the continuation of a damaging and ongoing conflict, the people are being offered a choice between two evils – a larger war or a smaller war. I am offering a completely different solution: one that is good for everyone. I want to make it clear that neither I nor the Republican Party are responsible for Serbia’s current situation. For the 1990s, I have been the biggest opponent of Slobodan Milošević’s policies and his bloody and unjustified war in Kosovo, for which today’s rulers in Serbia are responsible.

The wrong policies of the Serbian government towards the Albanians in Kosovo over the past 50 years, including crimes against civilians, have led to the current situation where the possibility of Kosovo remaining part of Serbia is now impossible. The actions of politicians such as Slobodan Milošević, Zoran Djindjić, Vojislav Koštunica, Tomislav Nikolić, Boris Tadić, Vuk Jeremić, Ivica Dacić and Aleksandar Vučić have all contributed to the independence of Kosovo from Serbia forever.

I want peace, a future for both Serbs and Albanians, and I am willing to forgive for the sake of the children we leave behind. I choose the future and turn my back on the past. I condemn those who committed crimes in the name of all of us. The Republican Party and I do not belong to the past, which is drawing you into the same story and the same disaster.

I understand that my position may be unpopular in Serbia, and that I may lose political support as a result. However, I am willing to make this sacrifice in order to save lives, provide hope, and create a chance for a better future for all of us. The Republican Party and I have a completely different vision for the solution to this issue.