NATO peacekeepers say they are ‘irreversible’ as tensions flare in Kosovo

On Sunday, NATO stressed the unwavering commitment of KFOR peacekeeping forces to the Kosovo tensions and increased pressure on Serbia. Three employees of the Kosovo police were detained.

NATO’s commitment to its mandate is unwavering, demonstrated by the recent deployment of an additional 500 troops, an alliance spokesman Oana Lungescu he said.

We once again remind all parties of their obligations to KFOR, including respect for the Administrative Boundary Line, procedures for the Kosovo Police and the 2013 Agreement on the deployment of Kosovo Security Forces in the north, he tweeted.

NATO’s KFOR has grown to more than 4,000 troops since Turkey sent a battalion of 500 reinforcements to Kosovo two weeks ago, following clashes with ethnic Serb protesters in late May that left 30 peacekeepers injured.

An additional NATO battalion is ready to deploy to Kosovo if required.

Serbia is detaining three Kosovo police officers who were detained on Wednesday.

The Kosovo government called it kidnapping and banned all Serbian trucks from entering its territory as a security measure.

The United States has called on Serbia to release the police. Washington and Brussels have often called for de-escalation.

EU foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell He appealed to the President of Serbia Alexander Vucic and Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti to meet in Brussels in the next few days to agree ways to alleviate the situation.

Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008. Its ethnic Albanian majority rose up in 1999, leading to NATO military intervention against Serbian forces.

But Belgrade and its allies, Beijing and Moscow, refused to recognize its independence, effectively preventing Kosovo from gaining a seat in the UN.

Serbs in Kosovo remain largely loyal to Belgrade, especially in the north, and reject any moves by Pristina to tighten control over the region.

Hundreds of Kosovo Serbs protested the arrest of a Serbian paramilitary leader in the northern city of Mitrovica on Friday.

#BREAKING #Serbia #Kosovo From today’s protest in Kosovska Mitrovica, Kosovo*. Serbs in the streets to support the arrested Serbs. pic.twitter.com/9ElUbYZVHm

National Independent (@NationIndepend) June 14, 2023

On Friday, KFOR issued a statement saying that it was not clear whether the Kosovo police were in Kosovo or Serbia, and where exactly the arrest was made.

He called on both sides to refrain from provocative rhetoric and any unilateral actions that could increase tensions in the region.