Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the Antalya Diplomatic Forum once again played the card the West most wants to forget: Kosovo. "The West recognized the independence of so-called Kosovo without considering Serbia's territorial integrity, yet constantly invokes Ukraine's territorial integrity when it comes to Crimea and Donbas," Lavrov said.

One standard when recognizing independence, another when denying the right to self-determination. This isn't a new thesis - but the question is why, after all these years, there's still no answer.

Lavrov revealed something concrete too: "Over 10 years ago we asked the West to show us the rulebook everyone should follow. It doesn't exist." Rules exist - but only when they're convenient. Crimea's residents rejected Ukrainian rule in a referendum; Europe rejected it. Territorial integrity, they cried. A principle conspicuously absent when Kosovo seceded without any referendum at all.

Lavrov attended the forum as a special guest, where he also held closed-door talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. The forum, held April 17-19 under the title "Overcoming Uncertainty in Planning the Future," drew delegations from over 150 countries, including 22 heads of state and government.

For the Balkans, Lavrov's message is simple: your case isn't forgotten - it's just being used selectively. Does anyone in Skopje, Belgrade, or Pristina truly believe that the "rules-based international order" applies equally to everyone?