Serbia massing troops on border with Kosovo: US
Tensions between Kosovo and Serbia are rising after an attack by an armed group. The United States stated that Serbia had made an unprecedented military build-up on the Kosovo border and asked Belgrade to withdraw its forces.
The tension between Kosovo and Serbia, which started with the local elections in May, peaked last week with the death of a policeman and 3 attackers in an attack by an armed group in Kosovo.
Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti described the incident as a terrorist attack and held Serbia responsible. Serbian President Alexander Vucic accused NATO and Kosovo of acting "hypocritically".
"Kill us all if you want. Serbia will never recognize the independence of the monster you created (Kosovo)," Vucic said.
NATO READY
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who made a statement about the rising tension between Kosovo and Serbia, stated that measures have been taken.
"NATO's KFOR mission is visible and agile throughout Kosovo. We will always take all necessary measures to ensure a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for all people living in Kosovo. We do this impartially and in line with our UN mandate," Stoltenberg said.
"Since May, we have strengthened KFOR's presence and posture and just yesterday the North Atlantic Council authorized additional forces to address the current situation. We will always continue to ensure that the Commander has the resources and flexibility to fulfill KFOR's mission. We are ready to make further adjustments to KFOR's posture if necessary," he added.
USA ACCUSES SERBIA
The White House said Serbia continued its escalatory actions, announcing an unprecedented military build-up on the border with Kosovo and calling on Belgrade to withdraw its troops.
"We call on Serbia to withdraw these forces from the border and contribute to de-escalation," John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the White House National Security Council, also said at the weekly press conference.
TENSION STARTED DUE TO ELECTIONS
Tensions in the region began when Albanian mayors were appointed in Serb-majority areas after Serbs boycotted local elections in May. The latest round of European Union-brokered talks collapsed last week without a result.
Source: BBC
