Clashes between Serbs and NATO forces continue in Kosovo, 41 soldiers injured

In Kosovo, clashes continue between ethnic Serbs and law enforcement agencies, special forces, as well as KFOR, NATO's international forces responsible for ensuring stability in the region. According to La Repubblica , a total of 41 KFOR troops were injured in the clashes. Italian Foreign Minister, Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani said on Twitter that 11 Italian servicemen from KFOR were among the wounded.

President Aleksandar Vučić has already addressed the population, blaming the Kosovo authorities, in particular Prime Minister Albin Kurti, for the clashes. According to Vucic, a total of 52 people turned to hospitals, three are in serious condition. He also confirmed that 41 NATO peacekeepers were injured. In addition, Vucic announced emergency talks with the ambassadors of the Quinta countries (USA, UK, Germany, France and Italy), he did not address Russia.

“We have deployed our forces near the border with Kosovo, in accordance with the situation, in those places where we consider it necessary. Tonight I plan to visit several positions of our soldiers. We will not allow pogroms of Serbs.”

Vučić also claims that one of the Kosovo commandos opened fire from a machine gun at people and wounded a man in the crowd.

The media publish videos of clashes between citizens and security forces.

In Belgrade, a group of citizens, as a sign of support for Serbs in northern Kosovo, blocked traffic on one of the main highways of the Serbian capital.

The day before, protests began in the municipality of Zvecan in northern Kosovo, ethnic Serbs demanded the resignation of the newly elected heads of administrations in the municipalities of Zvecan, Leposavić and Zubin Potok, where the predominantly Serb population lives. The authorities also sent the police to these municipalities to "help" the newly elected heads of these territorial units in taking their seats in the administrative buildings. Attempts by local residents to blockade the buildings led to riots and clashes with police, during which tear gas and stun grenades were used. On the evening of May 29, Vucic delivered an emergency address to the nation, in which he stated that the goal of the Kosovo authorities was to embroil Serbia and NATO.

Speaking to The Insider, political scientist Aleksandar Djokic, an expert on the Balkans, said that Kosovo considered this situation convenient for establishing elected power in the northern municipalities, while Vučić "applauds and talks about what kind of leader he is and how he protects them."

In December 2022, Vučić also convened an emergency meeting of the Security Council due to the escalation of the conflict between the Republic of Kosovo and Serbia against the backdrop of a message from the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, about an operation during which special forces of the Kosovo police will use all possible means to dismantle the barricades erected by the Serbs in the north region. After the meeting, Vučić said that it was "the hardest day of my career" and that the Kosovo authorities could launch a false flag attack on EU monitors to blame Serbia. Then Vučić assumed that Serbia would ask NATO peacekeepers for permission to deploy Serbian military and police in the Republic of Kosovo.

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