Russia held Kosovo responsible for “bloodshed and pushing the region to the brink of abyss,” a day after an attack targeted the latter’s police. While Washington condemned the attack, Kosovo declared mourning and lowered flags at half-mast.
The Kremlin expressed – today, Monday – its concern about the situation in Kosovo, which “potentially becomes dangerous,” stressing its support for the Serbs after an armed incident yesterday, Sunday, that fueled tensions between Pristina and Belgrade.
Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, “The situation is very tense and has the potential to become dangerous. It is no secret to anyone that provocations targeting Serbs often occur,” without revealing further details.
For its part, the Russian Foreign Ministry said, “There is no doubt that the bloodshed that occurred yesterday is a direct and immediate result of the path of the so-called (Prime Minister) Albin Kurti to incite conflict,” warning that attempts to escalate the situation may push “the entire Balkan region into a dangerous abyss.” “.
Yesterday, Sunday, a policeman was killed in an ambush on a patrol near the Serbian border, and was set up by gunmen who then barricaded themselves in a monastery and then exchanged fire with the Kosovo police for hours, killing at least 3 attackers.
Kosovo held Serbia responsible for the attack, while Belgrade accuses Pristina of persecuting Serbs in the country, which it considers one of its provinces.
Moscow has traditionally supported Serbia, especially regarding Kosovo, and is trying to appear as a protector of the Slavic and Orthodox population.
Washington condemns
On the other hand, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken strongly condemned the “violent attacks” targeting Kosovo police.
He said – in a statement – that “the United States strongly condemns the violent and coordinated attacks against the Kosovo police.” He added, “We call on the governments of Kosovo and Serbia to refrain from any actions or statements that would escalate tensions.”
European Union foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell also strongly condemned the “heinous attack” targeting police in Kosovo on Sunday.
The militants barricaded themselves in a monastery near the Serbian border (Reuters)
Blacksmith in Kosovo
In Kosovo, flags were lowered at half-mast on Monday, a national day of mourning was declared in honor of the policeman who was killed, and an investigation into the incident began.
Interior Minister Celal Cevićla said, “Search operations are still continuing. We have many policemen on the ground,” adding that quantities of heavy weapons and explosives had been found in several places.
“We can clearly say that this arsenal was intended for hundreds of other attackers,” he added, stressing that the heavily armed attackers who holed up for hours on Sunday in a monastery and are suspected of killing the policeman near the Serbian border must now be arrested.
The Kosovo Interior Minister also announced that 6 people suspected of involvement in the killing of the policeman are now in Serbia. He explained, “According to our information, 6 terrorists are receiving treatment in Novi Pazar Hospital, and we ask Serbia to hand them over immediately to the Kosovo authorities so that they can be tried.”
Last May, tensions escalated in northern Kosovo, following municipal elections in Serb-dominated areas, prompting NATO to take a decision to deploy 700 additional soldiers in a peacekeeping mission in Kosovo after 93 of its soldiers were injured.
In 2008, Kosovo unilaterally declared its independence from Serbia, which was recognized by most UN member states, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Turkey, but Serbia still considers it part of its territory.
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2023-09-25 18:21:14
