War in the middle of Europe? Conflict in the Balkans threatens to escalate – 24-hour ultimatum to NATO

A conflict on the border between Kosovo and Serbia threatens to escalate. Serbia puts military units in combat readiness.

Pristina – The situation on the border between Kosovo * and Serbia * threatens to escalate. Kosovar Serb citizens have been blocking two border crossings there for two weeks. This was reported by the Serbian state television RTS. After the Kosovar special police unit Rosu was deployed at the affected border crossings, Serbia put the Serbian military units stationed near the border into combat readiness. The international community is also on the alert.

The trigger for the tensions was a regulation by the Kosovar government in Pristina, according to which license plates from Serbia are no longer allowed to be used in Kosovo. Several thousand Kosovar Serbs in the Serbian enclave around the city of Kosovska Mitrovica in northern Kosovo, who mainly still use vehicles with Serbian license plates, are directly affected. The measure also applies to travelers from Serbia. According to the new ordinance, these must exchange the Serbian for provisional Kosovar license plates at the border.

Tensions on the border: Kosovo-Serbia conflict threatens to escalate

The background to the dispute is the fact that Serbia, for its part, does not recognize the license plates introduced by Kosovo after the declaration of independence in 2008. The ordinance must be seen as a late reaction by the government in Pristina.

Kosovo broke away from Serbia in 2008. However, the Serbian government still does not recognize independence and regards Kosovo as a breakaway province. As an ally of Serbia, Russia does not recognize Kosovo’s independence either. However, most western countries – including the US – have done so.

A week ago, Kosovo deployed the Rosu special police unit at the Jarinje and Brnjak border crossings to enforce the license plate regulation. Since then, protesters have been blocking the main roads to Mitrovica. In response, the Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic put the Serbian military units stationed near the border into combat readiness.

Serbian military units in combat readiness: military aircraft near the border

As the Serbian Defense Ministry announced in Belgrade, Vucic issued this decision after the “provocation” by the special forces in Kosovo. Serbian military planes flew over the area near the border with Kosovo several times. Vjsosa Osmani, the President of Kosovo, broke off her visit to the UN in New York because of developments in her country.

NATO and the EU are concerned about the current events on the border between Serbia and Kosovo. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg * and EU Foreign Affairs Representative Josep Borrell * called for restraint and de-escalation from Serbia and Kosovo. Both Serbia and Kosovo would have to solve their problems through diplomatic channels. They announced this in statements published in Brussels on Sunday. Borell emphasized that the special police forces must be withdrawn immediately. “Any further provocation or unilateral and uncoordinated action is unacceptable,” he said.

NATO and EU on alert: Vucic is said to have issued an ultimatum

Stoltenberg announced on Twitter that a dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina was important. He spoke personally on the phone with the Serbian President and with the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, on Sunday (September 26th). According to information from the Serbian media company Tanjug Vucic is said to have given NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg an ultimatum.

He would want to “wait 24 hours” to see how NATO would react if “there was a pogrom against Serbs”. In addition, he is said to have said: “If the pogrom continues on our people, Serbia will react and not allow it”. According to information from ARD Vucic is said to have announced to the NATO Secretary General that he would only be ready for a dialogue when Kosovo withdrew its police units from the border.

The end of the conflict is not in sight for the time being: von der Leyen is expected in Kosovo

However, there is currently no sign of calming the situation. According to reports by a correspondent for the Agence France-Presse news agency on Monday (September 27), Belgrade moved four armored vehicles to the border with Kosovo. The Kosovo force KFOR, led by NATO, declared in Pristina that it was closely monitoring the situation in order to ensure a “safe environment and freedom of movement for all population groups in Kosovo” in accordance with its UN mandate. KFOR’s routine patrols have been reinforced, including in northern Kosovo.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also intervenes in the crisis situation. She is expected in Kosovo on Wednesday. The tensions with Serbia could also become an issue at a Balkan summit of European heads of state and government on October 6th. (dpa / afp / at) *Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA

List of rubric lists: © Visar Kryeziu / dpa