After growing tensions, Serbia wants to send its own troops to Kosovo. But that has to be approved by the NATO security force KFOR.
After increasing ethnic tensions, Serbia wants to ask the NATO security force KFOR to allow the stationing of Serbian police officers and armed forces in Kosovo. This was announced by President Aleksandar Vucic on Saturday evening at a press conference in Belgrade. However, he sees no chance that KFOR will approve this.
Before that, there had been road blockades and gunfights with the police in northern Kosovo, which was mostly inhabited by ethnic Serbs. After a war with Serbia in the 1990s, Kosovo declared its independence in 2008. Germany and other EU countries recognize Kosovo as an independent state, while Serbia and Russia do not.
Local elections are postponed
In addition, the local elections planned for December in northern Kosovo will be postponed to April. In order to ensure a high turnout and to invite observers to the votes, this step had become necessary, said President Vjosa Osmani on Saturday after consultations with the political parties.
The elections are now scheduled to take place on April 23. They were originally scheduled for December 18th. However, many Serbs announced that they would boycott the elections. Serbian mayors and municipal representatives recently resigned from some municipalities in northern Kosovo in protest against the government in Pristina, which has since suspended license plate regulations. Then the elections became necessary. The Western Balkan country Kosovo plans to apply for membership of the European Union in 2022.