The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, told the British daily Guardian on Tuesday that the events in the north of Kosovo were serious and that “we are lucky that no life was lost”.

He referred to the clashes between the members of the NATO mission in Kosovo, KFOR, with the Serbian protesters in Zveçan, who opposed the entry of the new Albanian mayors into the municipalities inhabited by a majority of Serbs, Zveçan, Leposaviq and Zubin Potok through the municipal buildings.

Kurti blamed for the violence in the north those he called “fascist gangs” led by the Government of Serbia. The violence has been condemned by NATO and the international factor, while the United States has asked the Government of Kosovo to take steps to reduce tensions in the north.

Earlier, the American Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, said that the decision of the Government of Kosovo, to enter the municipal buildings in the north with force, was taken “against the advice” of the United States and European partners, and which “has unnecessarily escalated tensions”.

Kurti expressed his dissatisfaction with this statement.

“I think that, not only is it unfair and wrong and hurtful, but at the same time it is very naive. Maybe Secretary Blinken will clarify this one day, but it definitely hasn’t been helpful,” Kurti told the Guardian in a phone interview.

Kurti also said that he spoke with the American envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar.

He said that Escobar asked the Kosovo authorities to send the mayors to other facilities, or even to work from home – a request that he refused.

“We cannot have presidents with Zoom, we are a democratic republic. A democratic republic cannot surrender to the fascist militia”, he added.