What is behind renewed tensions between Serbia and Kosovo?
1 year, 2 months ago

What is behind renewed tensions between Serbia and Kosovo?

Associated Press  

BELGRADE, Serbia — Tensions between Serbia and Kosovo flared anew over the weekend when some 30 heavily armed Serbs barricaded themselves in an Orthodox monastery in northern Kosovo, setting off a daylong gunbattle with police that left one officer and three attackers dead. Kosovo’s majority ethnic Albanians, most of whom are Muslim, meanwhile, view Kosovo as their country and accuse Serbia of occupying it and repressing them for decades. Putin, whose troops illegally annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, has repeatedly argued that NATO’s bombardment of Serbia in 1999 and the West’s recognition of Kosovo created a precedent. Western officials have vehemently rejected Putin’s reasoning, saying the NATO intervention in Kosovo was triggered by mass killings and other war crimes committed by Serbian troops against ethnic Albanians. International officials still hope Kosovo and Serbia can reach a deal that would allow Kosovo to get a seat in the United Nations without Serbia having to explicitly recognize its statehood.

Ukraine Russia Ethnic Putin Russian Tensions Nato Serbia Serbian Kosovo Kurti Balkan Belgrade Serb Serbs  ethnic  russia  renewed  war  serbs  serbian  serb  kosovo  russian  tensions  serbia

History of this topic

Kosovo bomb blast: Tensions with Serbia flare amid efforts to contain impact from explosion
3 weeks, 2 days ago

Kosovo bomb blast: Tensions with Serbia flare amid efforts to contain impact from explosion

Firstpost  

Prime Minister Albin Kurti announced the arrest of several individuals linked to the attack, labelling it a “terrorist act” orchestrated by Serbia. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić dismissed Kurti’s accusations as “irresponsible” and “baseless,” asserting that such claims aim to tarnish Serbia’s reputation and undermine regional peace efforts Workers work near the damaged canal in northern Kosovo supplying water to two …

Serbian leader speaks to Trump, pointing out Serb support during US election
1 month, 1 week ago

Serbian leader speaks to Trump, pointing out Serb support during US election

Associated Press  

BELGRADE, Serbia — Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic said he spoke with Donald Trump late Sunday, inviting him to visit the Balkan country while pointing out that in Serbia the U.S. president-elect had the highest level of support of all European states during the election campaign. The populist Serbian leader said the phone call was “very cordial” and added that Trump …

Kosovo lifts ban on entry of products from Serbia at the border
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Kosovo lifts ban on entry of products from Serbia at the border

The Independent  

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Kosovo’s leader demands Serbia hand over gunmen who attacked police
2 months, 4 weeks ago

Kosovo’s leader demands Serbia hand over gunmen who attacked police

Associated Press  

BANJSKA, Kosovo — Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti on Tuesday held Serbia accountable for trying to annex part of Kosovo following an incursion of Serb gunmen who killed a police officer in a shootout last year that raised tensions between the sides. The plan was to annex part of its territory.” Kurti said the paramilitary group was “orchestrated and financed …

Serbia demands new elections in tense north Kosovo as well as return of Serb police and judiciary
3 months, 1 week ago

Serbia demands new elections in tense north Kosovo as well as return of Serb police and judiciary

Associated Press  

BELGRADE, Serbia — Serbia on Friday demanded that an election be held and ethnic Serbs return to police and judiciary in a Serb-populated northern region of Kosovo where tensions have fueled fears of instability and new armed clashes. Populist President Aleksandar Vucic also called for the withdrawal of Kosovo’s special police from the region bordering Serbia that remains a flashpoint …

EU envoy urges Kosovo and Serbia to resume efforts to normalize ties through talks
3 months, 2 weeks ago

EU envoy urges Kosovo and Serbia to resume efforts to normalize ties through talks

Associated Press  

PRISTINA, Kosovo — The European Union envoy for the Western Balkans on Friday urged Kosovo and Serbia to step up their efforts at normalization talks, saying these are decisive toward the two countries’ membership in the bloc. The EU and the United States are pressing both sides to implement agreements that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin …

Kosovo shuts down 5 Serbian governing structures in the north and US reacts with alarm
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Kosovo shuts down 5 Serbian governing structures in the north and US reacts with alarm

Associated Press  

PRISTINA, Kosovo — Kosovo authorities on Friday closed five parallel institutions working with the ethnic Serb minority, a move that was immediately criticized by the United States and could further raise tensions with neighboring Serbia. Elbert Krasniqi, Kosovo’s minister of local administration, confirmed the closure of five so-called parallel institutions in the north — where most of the ethnic Serb …

Kosovo’s premier calls for full reopening of key bridge in flashpoint city. But the West is wary
4 months, 1 week ago

Kosovo’s premier calls for full reopening of key bridge in flashpoint city. But the West is wary

Associated Press  

PRISTINA, Kosovo — Kosovo’s prime minister called on Wednesday for the full reopening of a bridge in the flashpoint city of Mitrovica, saying it would be another step toward free movement and not a threat to anyone. The bridge has been closed to passenger vehicle traffic for more than a decade, with minority ethnic Serbs time and again erecting barricades …

Kosovo marks the 25th anniversary of its liberation, when Serb forces withdrew after NATO bombing
6 months, 1 week ago

Kosovo marks the 25th anniversary of its liberation, when Serb forces withdrew after NATO bombing

Associated Press  

PRISTINA, Kosovo — Kosovo on Wednesday celebrated what it considers a liberation day, marking the 25th anniversary of the withdrawal of Serb forces. During the 1998-1999 war with ethnic Albanian Kosovo Liberation Army separatists, Serbian forces failed to meet Western demands on reconciliation, which pushed NATO to launch a 78-day bombing campaign against Serbia that resulted in its withdrawal. But …

Kosovo celebrates 25th anniversary of the withdrawal of Serbian forces after NATO bombing
6 months, 1 week ago

Kosovo celebrates 25th anniversary of the withdrawal of Serbian forces after NATO bombing

Associated Press  

PRISTINA, Kosovo — Kosovo on Monday celebrated the 25th anniversary of the withdrawal of Serbian forces following a 78-day NATO bombing campaign, which opened the way for its independence nine years later. About 13,000 people, mostly ethnic Albanians, died and about 1 million were deported until the NATO bombing resulted in the Serbian withdrawal and the establishment of an international …

Kosovo criticizes Council of Europe for not holding a vote on its membership, blames Serbia lobbying
7 months ago

Kosovo criticizes Council of Europe for not holding a vote on its membership, blames Serbia lobbying

Associated Press  

PRISTINA, Kosovo — Kosovo on Friday criticized the Council of Europe ‘s decision against holding a vote on its membership, saying it deprived its people and especially its ethnic minorities of democratic tools offered by the continent’s top human rights body. Kosovo’s membership was not on the agenda of the council’s foreign ministers meeting after some members had required Kosovo …

Kosovo makes last-minute push to get its membership in Council of Europe approved in a Friday vote
7 months, 1 week ago

Kosovo makes last-minute push to get its membership in Council of Europe approved in a Friday vote

Associated Press  

PRISTINA, Kosovo — The government of Kosovo is making a last-minute effort to convince Western powers to vote on whether to admit the country as a new member in the Council of Europe, the continent’s top human rights body. Foreign Minister Donika Gervalla-Schwarz in a letter Thursday to Theodoros Rousopoulos, the head of the Council of Europe’s Parliament Assembly, said …

Kosovo prime minister deplores new condition ahead of Council of Europe’s membership vote next week
7 months, 2 weeks ago

Kosovo prime minister deplores new condition ahead of Council of Europe’s membership vote next week

Associated Press  

TIRANA, Albania — Kosovo’s prime minister Wednesday deplored the fact that some Western powers reportedly have set another condition ahead of Kosovo’s joining the Council of Europe. Kosovo media reported that France and Germany want Kosovo to take a significant step toward establishing an association of its Serb-majority municipalities in the north to unblock a vote of full membership a …

Senior US official travels to Kosovo to revive Kosovo-Serbia talks after tensions over currency
9 months, 1 week ago

Senior US official travels to Kosovo to revive Kosovo-Serbia talks after tensions over currency

Associated Press  

TIRANA, Albania — A senior U.S. official on Tuesday said he would be visiting Kosovo in the next days to put “back on track” talks on normalizing ties between Kosovo and Serbia, after tensions escalated over Kosovo’s decision to ban the use of the Serbian dinar. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Gabriel Escobar said he would discuss with Kosovo authorities …

Kosovo OKs referendums in 4 Serb-majority municipalities on whether to oust ethnic Albanian mayors
9 months, 1 week ago

Kosovo OKs referendums in 4 Serb-majority municipalities on whether to oust ethnic Albanian mayors

Associated Press  

PRISTINA, Kosovo — Kosovo’s Central Electoral Commission on Saturday approved referendums in four Serb-majority municipalities to be held on April 21 on whether to oust their ethnic Albanian mayors whose election last year raised tensions between Serbia and Kosovo. The commission also confirmed a petition held in January in which about one-fourth of around 45,000 eligible voters in four municipalities …

Serbia protests after Croatia’s foreign minister calls Vučić a Russian ‘satellite’ in the Balkans
9 months, 4 weeks ago

Serbia protests after Croatia’s foreign minister calls Vučić a Russian ‘satellite’ in the Balkans

Associated Press  

BELGRADE, Serbia — Serbia on Sunday sent a protest note after Croatia’s foreign minister described President Aleksandar Vučić as a Russian “satellite” in the Balkans. Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman told N1 television on Saturday that Vučić must decide which side he is on, Russia or the European Union, “because it is impossible and uncomfortable sitting on two chairs …

Thousands of minority Serbs protest Kosovo’s decision to abolish the Serbian dinar
10 months, 1 week ago

Thousands of minority Serbs protest Kosovo’s decision to abolish the Serbian dinar

Associated Press  

MITROVICA, Kosovo — Thousands of minority Serbs in Kosovo on Monday protested a ban on the use of the Serbian currenc y in areas where they live, an issue that is proviking the latest crisis in relations between Serbia and Kosovo. Tensions escalated after the government of Kosovo, a former Serbian province, banned banks and other financial institutions in the …

Leaders of Serbia and Kosovo spar at the UN over the latter’s ban of the Serbian dinar
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Leaders of Serbia and Kosovo spar at the UN over the latter’s ban of the Serbian dinar

Associated Press  

UNITED NATIONS — The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo sparred at the United Nations over the latter’s ban of the use of the Serbian currency in areas where minority Serbs live, the latest crisis between the two governments. He said it was “nothing more than another in a series of facts of persecution, and a systematic and widespread attack on …

Leaders of Serbia and Kosovo spar at the UN over the latter's ban of the Serbian dinar
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Leaders of Serbia and Kosovo spar at the UN over the latter's ban of the Serbian dinar

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. He said it was “nothing …

Serbia will seek a UN Security Council meeting over latest escalation of tensions with Kosovo
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Serbia will seek a UN Security Council meeting over latest escalation of tensions with Kosovo

Associated Press  

BELGRADE, Serbia — Serbia will seek an urgent U.N. Security Council meeting to discuss the escalation of tensions with its former province of Kosovo after its government decided to ban the use of the Serbian dinar and introduce the euro in areas where minority Serbs live, Serbia’s president said Friday. But parts of Kosovo’s north, populated mostly by ethnic Serbs, …

Serbia will seek a UN Security Council meeting over latest escalation of tensions with Kosovo
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Serbia will seek a UN Security Council meeting over latest escalation of tensions with Kosovo

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Serbia will seek an urgent …

The European Union calls on Kosovo to delay requiring ethnic Serbians to use euros instead of dinars
10 months, 3 weeks ago

The European Union calls on Kosovo to delay requiring ethnic Serbians to use euros instead of dinars

Associated Press  

PRISTINA, Kosovo — The European Union on Thursday called on Kosovo to postpone an effort to force ethnic Serbian-dominated areas to adopt the euro currency like in the rest of the country, as rules that would block use of the Serbian dinar went into effect. An EU statement expressed concern “about the consequences … on the daily lives of Kosovo …

Kosovo will impose the use of the euro in minority Serb areas, concerning Western powers
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Kosovo will impose the use of the euro in minority Serb areas, concerning Western powers

Associated Press  

PRISTINA, Kosovo — Kosovo authorities on Wednesday said they would impose the use of the country’s currency, the euro, and abolish the use of neighboring Serbia’s dinar in the north where most of the ethnic Serb minority lives. Kosovo’s Central Bank Governor Ahmet Ismaili said starting Thursday, new rules on local transactions in euros would be applied in the northern …

EU envoy urges Kosovo and Serbia to step up normalization efforts before the bloc’s June elections
10 months, 3 weeks ago

EU envoy urges Kosovo and Serbia to step up normalization efforts before the bloc’s June elections

Associated Press  

PRISTINA, Kosovo — The EU envoy for the Western Balkans on Tuesday urged Kosovo and Serbia to push ahead with faltering normalization talks before elections for the European Parliament in June. Miroslav Lajcak met for three hours with Kosovo’s top leaders — President Vjosa Osmani, Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi — in the capital Pristina …

Serbia considers reintroducing a mandatory military draft as regional tensions simmer
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Serbia considers reintroducing a mandatory military draft as regional tensions simmer

Associated Press  

BELGRADE, Serbia — Serbia is considering reintroducing compulsory military service, its president said Tuesday, citing tensions in the Balkans and elsewhere in Europe. President Aleksandar Vucic said top army commanders gave him “a strong argumentation” in favor of the reintroduction of a mandatory draft, which was suspended in 2011 in a push to professionalize the armed forces. “As well as …

Ethnic Serbs in Kosovo hold a petition drive in hopes of ousting 4 ethnic Albanian mayors
11 months ago

Ethnic Serbs in Kosovo hold a petition drive in hopes of ousting 4 ethnic Albanian mayors

Associated Press  

PRISTINA, Kosovo — Ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo held a signature drive Wednesday in hopes of securing enough to oust four ethnic Albanian mayors whose elections last year sent tensions between Serbia and Kosovo soaring. The drive is expected to start soon Zvecan and Zubin Potok, two other municipalities in the north where most of Kosovo’s ethnic Serb minority lives. …

Serbia’s army proposes bringing back the draft as tensions continue to rise in the Balkans
11 months, 2 weeks ago

Serbia’s army proposes bringing back the draft as tensions continue to rise in the Balkans

Associated Press  

BELGRADE, Serbia — Serbia should reintroduce compulsory military service, the defense ministry said Thursday, as tensions continue to escalate in the Balkans. The ministry said in a statement that the proposal for service of up to four months is made “in order to increase the defense capabilities of the Serbian Armed Forces, through the rejuvenation and improvement in the training …

Separatist Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik vows to tear his country apart despite US warnings
11 months, 3 weeks ago

Separatist Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik vows to tear his country apart despite US warnings

Associated Press  

BANJA LUKA, Bosnia-Herzegovina — The Bosnian Serbs’ separatist leader vowed to carry on weakening his war-scarred country to the point where it will tear apart, despite a pledge by the United States to prevent such an outcome. “I am not irrational, I know that America’s response will be to use force … but I have no reason to be frightened …

Albania’s prime minister calls for more NATO troops in neighboring Kosovo following ethnic violence
1 year, 1 month ago

Albania’s prime minister calls for more NATO troops in neighboring Kosovo following ethnic violence

Associated Press  

SKOPJE, North Macedonia — Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama urged NATO on Wednesday to further boost its military forces in Kosovo and secure the country’s borders with Serbia, warning that recent ethnic violence in Kosovo could potentially trigger a wider Balkan conflict. Kosovo’s border with Serbia was “out of control,” Rama said after an informal meeting of Western Balkan NATO …

NATO head says violence in Kosovo unacceptable while calling for constructive dialogue with Serbia
1 year, 1 month ago

NATO head says violence in Kosovo unacceptable while calling for constructive dialogue with Serbia

Associated Press  

BELGRADE, Serbia — NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday that the recent violent outbreaks in Kosovo were unacceptable and perpetrators must be brought to justice. “I welcome that Serbia is prepared to cooperate in these efforts.” Stoltenberg also urged Serbia and Kosovo to engage “constructively” in a European Union-mediated dialogue that is aimed at normalizing relations between the former …

NATO chief commits to Bosnia’s territorial integrity and condemns ‘malign’ Russian influence
1 year, 1 month ago

NATO chief commits to Bosnia’s territorial integrity and condemns ‘malign’ Russian influence

Associated Press  

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina — NATO supports Bosnia’s territorial integrity and is concerned by “malign foreign interference,” including by Russia, in the volatile Balkans region that went through a devastating war in the 1990s, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday. This is crucial for the stability and the security of the country.” NATO played a major role in ending the 1992-95 …

EU envoy in surprise visit to Kosovo to push for further steps in normalization talks with Serbia
1 year, 1 month ago

EU envoy in surprise visit to Kosovo to push for further steps in normalization talks with Serbia

Associated Press  

PRISTINA, Kosovo — The European Union’s envoy for the western Balkans began a surprise two-day visit to Kosovo on Monday to talk with its leaders on further steps in normalization talks with Serbia. Miroslav Lajcak met with Kosovar Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi, who is Kosovo’s main negotiator in the EU-facilitated talks with Serbia, from which Kosovo declared independence in …

Serbia's President Aleksandar Vuvic dissolves Parliament, calls for early polls
1 year, 1 month ago

Serbia's President Aleksandar Vuvic dissolves Parliament, calls for early polls

Hindustan Times  

Belgrade, November 2 : Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic dissolved parliament due to emerging political pressure at home and from the European Union and called for a snap parliamentary vote with parallel local elections on December 17. HT Image Less than two years after the victory of the Serbian Progressive Party at the polls, the leader of the party, President Vucic, …

Serbia to hold snap elections as president calls for country to be ‘united’
1 year, 1 month ago

Serbia to hold snap elections as president calls for country to be ‘united’

Al Jazeera  

Serbia will hold a snap election next month after President Aleksandar Vucic dissolved parliament in the face of political pressure at home and from the European Union. “We live in times that are difficult for the whole world, in times of global challenges, wars and conflicts when it is necessary that we are all united in preserving vital national and …

Serbia and Kosovo leaders break off talks without result despite EU pressure
1 year, 1 month ago

Serbia and Kosovo leaders break off talks without result despite EU pressure

Associated Press  

BRUSSELS — The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo have refused to compromise at a fresh round of meetings meant to improve their bitter relations and they continue to jeopardize their chances of joining the European Union, the bloc’s top diplomat said Thursday. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who has been supervising the “Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue” process, said that negotiators had …

European Union to press the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo to set decades of enmity behind them
1 year, 1 month ago

European Union to press the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo to set decades of enmity behind them

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The European Union is set …

Kosovo’s premier claims a Serbian criminal gang with government links was behind a September flareup
1 year, 2 months ago

Kosovo’s premier claims a Serbian criminal gang with government links was behind a September flareup

Associated Press  

PRISTINA, Kosovo — Kosovo’s prime minister on Monday claimed that a criminal gang from northern Serbia was behind a September attack in Kosovo that killed a police officer and involved a daylong gunbattle with Kosovo police that left three gunmen dead. Prime Minister Albin Kurti also alleged that Serbia’s Defense Minister Milos Vucevic heads the gang known as the “Novi …

Kosovo's premier claims a Serbian criminal gang with government links was behind a September flareup
1 year, 2 months ago

Kosovo's premier claims a Serbian criminal gang with government links was behind a September flareup

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

EU and US envoys urge Kosovo and Serbia to resume dialogue in order to defuse tensions
1 year, 2 months ago

EU and US envoys urge Kosovo and Serbia to resume dialogue in order to defuse tensions

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. EU envoy Miroslav Lajcak and U.S. Special Representative to …

EU and US envoys urge Kosovo and Serbia to resume dialogue in order to defuse tensions
1 year, 2 months ago

EU and US envoys urge Kosovo and Serbia to resume dialogue in order to defuse tensions

Associated Press  

PRISTINA, Kosovo — The envoys of the European Union and the United States urged Kosovo and Serbia on Saturday to resume their dialogue on normalizing relations before the bitter tensions between the two sides result in more violence. EU envoy Miroslav Lajcak and U.S. Special Representative to the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar met with Prime Minister Albin Kurti in Kosovo’s …

KFOR commander calls on Kosovo and Serbia to return to talks to prevent future violence
1 year, 2 months ago

KFOR commander calls on Kosovo and Serbia to return to talks to prevent future violence

Associated Press  

PRISTINA, Kosovo — The NATO-led peacekeeping force on Friday called on both Kosovo and Serbia to return to the negotiating table to resolve their issues to prevent violence like the recent shootout between masked Serb gunmen and Kosovo police that left four people dead and sent tensions soaring in the region. Kosovo Force commander Maj. Gen. Angelo Michele Ristuccia called …

Serbia releases from custody a Kosovo Serb leader suspected of a role in ambush of Kosovo policemen
1 year, 2 months ago

Serbia releases from custody a Kosovo Serb leader suspected of a role in ambush of Kosovo policemen

Associated Press  

BELGRADE, Serbia — A court in Serbia on Wednesday released from a brief detention a Kosovo Serb leader who has been linked to a clash with Kosovo security forces in which four people died, sending tensions soaring in the volatile region. Kosovo has accused Serbia of orchestrating the “act of aggression” against its former province whose 2008 declaration of independence …

Serbian authorities have detained the alleged organizer behind a recent shootout with Kosovo police
1 year, 2 months ago

Serbian authorities have detained the alleged organizer behind a recent shootout with Kosovo police

Associated Press  

BELGRADE, Serbia — Serbian police on Tuesday detained an ethnic Serb leader from Kosovo who was the alleged organizer behind a recent shootout with Kosovo police that left four people dead and sent tensions soaring in the region. Police said they also searched the apartment and other property in Serbia belonging to Milan Radoicic, a politician and wealthy businessman with …

Analysis: Are Kosovo and Serbia on the brink of war?
1 year, 2 months ago

Analysis: Are Kosovo and Serbia on the brink of war?

Al Jazeera  

An escalation into a conflict in the Western Balkans was averted but the likelihood of future flare-ups remains high. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that the Kosovo government’s “terror” had driven the Serb minority in the northern part of the country to an “uprising”. Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti accused Serbia of supporting financially and logistically “organised crime” groups attacking …

Serbia says it has reduced army presence near Kosovo after US expressed concern over troop buildup
1 year, 2 months ago

Serbia says it has reduced army presence near Kosovo after US expressed concern over troop buildup

Associated Press  

BELGRADE, Serbia — The Serbian army has cut the number of troops stationed on the border with Kosovo by nearly half, top Serbian military officials said on Monday, denying U.S. and other reports of a mass military buildup in the wake of a shooting over a week ago that killed four people and raised fears of instability in the volatile …

Serbia’s president denies troop buildup near Kosovo, alleges ‘campaign of lies’ in wake of clashes
1 year, 2 months ago

Serbia’s president denies troop buildup near Kosovo, alleges ‘campaign of lies’ in wake of clashes

Associated Press  

BELGRADE, Serbia — Serbia’s president on Sunday denied U.S. and other reports of a military buildup along the border with Kosovo, complaining of a “campaign of lies” against his country in the wake of a shootout a week earlier that killed four people and fueled tensions in the volatile Balkan region. Kosovo’s government said Saturday it was monitoring the movements …

US concerned by large Serbian military mobilisation near Kosovo
1 year, 2 months ago

US concerned by large Serbian military mobilisation near Kosovo

Al Jazeera  

United States urges Belgrade to stand down after deployment of Serbian tanks and artillery near Kosovo border. The United States has urged Belgrade to pull its forces back from the border with Kosovo after detecting what it called an “unprecedented” Serbian military build-up. “We are monitoring a large Serbian military deployment along the border with Kosovo,” White House National Security …

Vucic ‘wants war’: Kosovo PM accuses Belgrade of inciting violence
1 year, 2 months ago

Vucic ‘wants war’: Kosovo PM accuses Belgrade of inciting violence

Al Jazeera  

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Albin Kurti says Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic aims to create ‘another Republika Srpska’ in Kosovo by attempting to start a conflict. Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti says Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic planned and ordered an attack in northern Kosovo “to destabilise” the country with the goal of starting a war. But I think they …

Kosovo accuses Serbia of direct involvement in deadly clashes and investigates possible Russian role
1 year, 2 months ago

Kosovo accuses Serbia of direct involvement in deadly clashes and investigates possible Russian role

Associated Press  

PRISTINA, Kosovo — Kosovo’s interior minister on Thursday accused Serbia of direct involvement in weekend clashes and was investigating the possibility of Russian involvement in the violence that left four people dead and further strained relations between the former wartime foes. Serbia’s president, Aleksandar Vučić has denied claims that Serbia was involved in the clash, saying the gunmen were local …

Serbs in Kosovo mourn those killed in monastery shootout
1 year, 2 months ago

Serbs in Kosovo mourn those killed in monastery shootout

Firstpost  

The gunbattle has prompted new international concern over stability in Kosovo, which has an ethnic Albanian majority and declared independence from Serbia in 2008 after a guerrilla uprising and a 1999 NATO intervention Following the deadliest violence in years in the contested area, the biggest political party representing Serbs in northern Kosovo on Tuesday declared three days of mourning for …

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