The United States and its allies have criticized Kosovo’s use of force in a Serb-populated city, saying it has increased tensions with Serbia.
The US, UK, France, Italy and Germany on May 26 issued a joint statement urging the Kosovo government to back off and de-escalate the situation, urging Kosovo’s leader Albin Kurti to reverse course.
“Kosovo’s actions go against the advice of the United States and Europe, unnecessarily heighten tensions and undermine efforts to normalize Kosovo-Serb relations, as well as affect bilateral relations between us and Kosovo,” said Secretary of State for USA, Antony Blinken, in the statement. .
Earlier, clashes broke out between protesters and police in the town of Zvecan in Kosovo. Zvecan is a city with a majority Serb population and they oppose the arrival of the newly elected Albanian mayor (Albanians are an ethnic group with roots in Kosovo). Police in Pristina, Kosovo’s capital, announced they would help bring the mayor into the city’s office as mobs of Serbs gathered to detain them.
The police then fired tear gas to disperse the protesters and managed to bring the mayor inside. The clash left five people injured and a police car set on fire. NATO peacekeepers in Kosovo dispatched several vehicles to the center of Zvecan town. Serbia also ordered the army to be ready to fight and close Kosovo after the confrontation.
Special police officers stand beside a burning vehicle after clashes with Serb protesters in the town of Zvecan, Kosovo, on May 26. Photo: Reuters
Kosovo is a breakaway territory in southwest Serbia, declared independence from Serbia in 2008, has about 1.8 million inhabitants, 90% of whom are Albanians. About 120,000 Serbs living in northern Kosovo do not recognize this government. They are politically loyal to Serbia, which financially supports the community.
The United States has been Kosovo’s main political, military, and financial supporter since independence. Most Western countries also recognize Kosovo as independent, but the territory has not been given a seat at the United Nations, over objections from Russia and China.
Tensions in Kosovo have risen since 2022, when local authorities planned to hold elections in towns where the Serb majority live, prompting a series of shootings and roadblocks. Kosovo authorities postponed the vote until April.
Location of Kosovo and Serbia. Graphics: Britannica
The de-escalation agreement promoted by the West in March was adopted by Kosovo and Serbia, which gave northern Serbs more autonomy.
But in the April 23 vote, around 50,000 Serbs in four northern municipalities, including Zvecan, protested because their demands for greater autonomy had not been met.
Voter participation in these locations was 3.47%. The four new mayors are all Albanians. The Serbian community says it does not work with Albanian mayors because it does not represent them.
Duc Trung (according to Reuters)
