Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, at a meeting with the ambassadors of Quinta (USA, Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy) and the head of the permanent EU delegation in Serbia, called on them to influence Pristina in order to recall the Albanian mayors and withdraw police special forces from the north of the region, which he announced on social networks .
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Vučić met with the ambassadors of the Quinta countries and the head of the EU delegation on Tuesday. The meeting was attended by Minister of Defense Milos Vucevic and Chief of the General Staff of the Serbian Army Milan Mojsilovic.
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“I talked with the ambassadors of the Quinta countries about the current events in Kosovo and Metohija and noted that Pristina’s unilateral steps lead to violence against the Serbs, which moves us away from peace and stability in the region. The urgent withdrawal of false mayors and the withdrawal of the so-called police special forces of Pristina is a condition to preserve peace in Kosovo and Metohija,” Vucic wrote on social media.
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On Monday, thousands of Kosovo Serbs gathered in front of local government buildings in the province’s north demanding the withdrawal of the Kosovo police and the recall of the Kosovo Albanian mayors.
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Soldiers of the NATO KFOR contingent with means to disperse demonstrations were distributed near the buildings of the municipalities of Zvecan, Leposavich and Zubin Potok. Behind them were a large Kosovo police force that prevented the Kosovo Serbs from approaching the buildings. Around 17.00, clashes began between the protesters and the security forces. Tear gas was used, dozens of stun grenades were thrown, and there was shooting.
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According to Vučić, only 52 Serbs were injured, who sought medical help at a hospital in northern Kosovska Mitrovica, three of them seriously injured.
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According to the President of Serbia, 41 KFOR fighters were injured, most of them Hungarians and Italians, three NATO soldiers were seriously injured.
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The President of the self-proclaimed Republic of Kosovo, Vyosa Osmani, accused the Serbian leader Aleksandar Vučić of organizing unrest in the north of the province and attacks on police, NATO KFOR contingent and journalists.
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Serbian Defense Minister Milos Vucevic said on Sunday that tensions in Kosovo have reached a maximum and could develop into an armed conflict, units of the Serbian Armed Forces continue to be distributed and take up positions in the direction of the administrative line with Kosovo and Metohija.
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The National Security Council of Serbia reported on Saturday that the NATO contingent in Kosovo and Metohija KFOR did not act in accordance with its authority under UN Security Council Resolution 1244 during the police force action of the self-proclaimed republic in the north of the province on Friday, the Serbian army remains at maximum combat readiness.
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Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić put the Serbian army on maximum alert last Friday due to the situation in Kosovo and Metohija due to Pristina’s unilateral moves. The head of state also demanded that NATO “urgently stop the violence against the Serbs” in Kosovo and Metohija. Serbian Defense Minister Milos Vucevic confirmed bringing the army to the highest degree of combat readiness and the advancement of forces towards Kosovo and Metohija.
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Before that, on Friday Kosovo police forcefully occupied the buildings of the municipalities of Leposavić, Zubin Potok and Zvecan in the north of the province using tear gas and stun grenades.
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The reason was an attempt by the authorities of Pristina to appoint Albanian mayors in the north of the region, after the elections to local governments in northern Kosovo on April 23, which were boycotted by local Serbs.
