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Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has called on Western countries to stop the provocative actions of the Kosovo authorities in Pristina and prevent a new war in the Balkans (Southeast Europe).
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| Special forces on the streets of Kosovo |
Instability is increasing.
Tensions flared in Kosovo after Serbia announced the arrest of three Kosovo special forces soldiers on Serbian territory. The Serbian president met with the ambassadors of the Quinta group (USA, UK, Germany, France, Italy); the head of the European Union's permanent mission to Serbia; and General Michele Ristuccia, commander of the NATO KFOR peacekeeping force in Kosovo and Metohija (KiM), “asking them to do everything in their power and prevent a new war in the Balkans.”
Meanwhile, Kosovo's chief executive, Albin Kurti, called on the international community to pressure Belgrade to release the three police officers. On June 14, Kosovo also imposed a ban on entry for all cargo and supplies from central Serbia. President Vucic accused Kosovo of preventing Serbs in the north of the territory from obtaining food and medicine.
Kosovo, a territory with a predominantly Albanian population, was once a province of Serbia but unilaterally declared independence in 2008. To this day, Serbia does not recognize it and still considers it part of its territory.
Instability in the region has increased since the April elections, after Kosovo's chief executive Albin Kurti decided to appoint a series of ethnic Albanian mayors in areas with large Serbian populations.
Recent tensions in Kosovo have also prompted NATO to send more troops to the region. The alliance announced it will send an additional 700 soldiers to Kosovo, bringing the total number of NATO troops there to 4,700.
The EU is losing patience.
Tensions between Serbia and Kosovo have raised concerns about a repeat of the 1998-1999 conflict in Kosovo, which killed more than 10,000 people, mostly Albanians. The US, along with the EU and other Western countries, has called on both Kosovo and Belgrade to immediately take steps to de-escalate tensions, including the unconditional release of three detained Kosovo police officers. Serbian prosecutors say the three officers are suspected of illegally possessing weapons and explosives and will be tried according to law.
To date, dialogue between the Serbian and Kosovo governments remains stalled. Pristina (the capital and largest city of Kosovo) has taken actions that, while legal, have escalated tensions on the ground, at a time when the international community is seeking a strategy to de-escalate the situation.
In particular, the EU is increasingly dissatisfied with the actions of the Kosovo government, especially the appointment of Albanian mayors in cities with large Serbian communities.
According to AP, the EU believes the Pristina government is responsible for the tensions in northern Kosovo. The EU also warned the Kosovo government that it would face “ political consequences” for its actions. For now, this doesn't mean sanctions, but rather “restrictive measures,” such as suspending high-level visits and contacts.
Among the measures, in theory, the EU could also stop providing financial support to the Kosovo government . The EU has invited the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo to meet in Brussels next week in an effort to ease tensions.
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