The spokesperson of Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, has warned that the situation in Kosovo and the wider Balkans could escalate into a new conflict. In a press conference, Zakharova accused the government of Kosovo of continuously violating UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and repressing the Serb community.

According to her, the authorities in Pristina are illegally attempting to obstruct the participation of Serbs in the upcoming local elections, describing this as part of an “anti-Serb ethnic engineering.”

“The Kosovo problem must be brought back within the framework of international law, under the leading role of the UN Security Council. Without this, a fair and sustainable solution is not possible, and the risk of conflict escalation is rising significantly,” Zakharova declared.

She also accused Kosovo’s Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, of adopting an aggressive approach toward the Serb community issue, adding that in her view, Kurti interprets the European Union’s passivity as silent support for his actions.

Zakharova further claimed that Kurti is deliberately sabotaging the appointment of a Serb representative to the post of Deputy Speaker of the Kosovo Parliament.