In response to a recent attack involving around 30 gunmen engaging in a gun battle with Kosovo police in the Serb-majority northern Kosovo, the United States is calling on Serbia to withdraw what it describes as a significant military build-up along the border with Kosovo.
Tensions between Kosovo’s minority ethnic Serb and majority Albanian communities have been escalating in recent months. The UK has announced its decision to send troops to join NATO peacekeepers in the region in light of the current situation.
NATO, prepared to bolster its forces, expressed its readiness to address the heightened tensions, particularly following a stand-off at a monastery in the north where a Kosovo policeman and three attackers lost their lives.
Kosovo’s government, in the aftermath of the incident, presented a substantial arsenal of weapons and equipment, accusing Serbia’s government of supporting the attack. The vice president of Serb List, Kosovo’s main Serb political party, Milan Radoicic, resigned on Friday, admitting to organizing the armed group. However, he denied receiving assistance from Belgrade.
White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby expressed concern about the “large military deployment” of sophisticated tanks and artillery by Serbia, deeming it a “very destabilizing development.” Kirby emphasized the urgency for Serbia to withdraw these forces from the border, stating, “It’s worrisome. It doesn’t look like just a bunch of guys who got together to do this.” The international community closely watches the situation as efforts are made to de-escalate tensions in the volatile region.
