Representatives of the Serb List, the largest Serbian party in Kosovo, declared they will continue protests until their requests are fulfilled.
In the third day of protests, Serb representatives have asked for the withdrawal of the special units of the Kosovo Police from the north and the resignation of the newly elected Albanian mayors in the four northern municipalities.
According to journalists following up on the developments in the north, there is an increased presence of protesters in Zvečan today, but the situation so far is rather calm.
A giant flag of Serbia has been unfurled by protesters in this municipality, while the KFOR soldiers have put up barbed wires in front of the municipal building.
Protesters have also gathered in Zubin Potok, as early as 07:00 a.m., while there is a presence of members of the Kosovo Police and soldiers of the NATO-led mission, KFOR.
Serbian Defense Minister Miloš Vučević called the security situation in the north of Kosovo “extremely dangerous”.
Speaking to the Serbian Radio-Television, Vučević reiterated Belgrade’s accusations, blaming the situation on the authorities in Kosovo.
He described their decisions as “unilateral, illegal and illegitimate”.
“Serbia’s Army is ready to perform any task, while, from the political point of view, Serbia has determined what the red lines are when it finds itself in a situation in which its vital national and state interests are threatened. We are talking about, God forbid, scenarios of someone killing Serbs,” said Vučević.
The Armed Forces of Serbia will continue to be in a high level of combat readiness until it is assessed that Serbia’s interests are threatened and until there is a high security risk in Kosovo.
Previously, the United States called on Kosovo’s authorities to return to the EU-intermediated dialogue with Serbia, towards the normalization of relations.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated that the decision of the Government of Kosovo to forcedly install the new mayors in the Serb-majority municipalities in the north, escalated tensions “in an unnecessary manner”.
“Prime Minister Albin Kurti and his Government must ensure that the elected mayors perform their transitional duties from alternative locations, outside the municipal building, and withdraw the police forces from there. President Vučić and the Government of Serbia should downgrade the security level of the Serbian Armed Forces and call on the Kosovo Serbs to stop defying KFOR and refrain from further violence,” Blinken said in a statement.
However, Prime Minister Kurti expressed dissatisfaction over the statement.
“Not only is it unfair and wrong and hurtful, but at the same time very naïve. Perhaps Secretary Blinken will clarify this someday, but it was definitely not beneficial,” Kurti told the Guardian in a telephone interview.
Moreover, Kurti blamed the violence in the north on what he called “fascist gangs” led by the Government of Serbia.
Earlier on Tuesday, the US Ambassador to Kosovo Jeffrey Hovenier said that the Government of Kosovo did not coordinate the actions in the north with the United States and, therefore, has suffered the first consequence, the cancellation of the “Defender Europe 2023” military exercises.
Following the escalated situation where 30 soldiers were injured, NATO decided to deploy 700 additional troops to its KFOR mission, an action welcomed by the international community.
