Belgrade: Serbian Public Administration and Local Self-Government Minister Snezhana Paunovic made a controversial statement on Monday, expressing that she would have ethnically cleansed Kosovo if she had been in Slobodan Milosevic's position in 1998. Paunovic stated, "If I had been in Milosevic's place in 1998, I would have ethnically cleansed Kosovo. And this is the harshest qualification I have ever said. Not in the way they want to liquidate us, but in such a way that they do not feel part of Serbia and go to their mother country."

According to Anadolu Agency, Paunovic has been known for her hardline stance on Kosovo. In 2022, while serving as deputy speaker of the Serbian Parliament, she called for the arrest and removal of Shaip Kamberi, the only ethnic Albanian member of Serbia's parliament. Kamberi revealed her remarks in a Facebook post. During a parliamentary debate on the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Paunovic stated, "If we made a mistake by releasing Albin Kurti from prison, let's not make the same mistake by not arresting Shaip Kamberi. If that is not possible, then we should remove him from here."

Kosovo's Minister for Labour, Family and the Values of the Kosovo Liberation War, Andin Hoti, responded by stating that Paunovic's remarks demonstrate that Serbia has not rid itself of its genocidal ideology. Hoti said, "Your ideological father, Milosevic, tried the same thing in Kosovo, but ended up before international justice, while Serbia left Kosovo with its tail between its legs."

The Institute for Crimes Committed During the War also commented on the situation, emphasizing that "coming to terms with the past remains a prerequisite for building trust and lasting peace in the region." They highlighted that Paunovic's statement brings renewed attention to the policies responsible for war and crimes against humanity in Kosovo. According to the Institute, the crimes committed during 1998-1999 were addressed in international judicial proceedings, with high-ranking leaders of Milosevic's regime found guilty of crimes in Kosovo.