SERBIA ON THE VERGE OF WAR WITH KOSOVO

The Serbian Prime Minister claimed that the country is on the verge of war with Kosovo because of the actions of the Kosovo Prime Minister and the inaction of the European Union. Explosions and the sound of gunfire are heard again in the self-proclaimed region. Another escalation in the north of Kosovo began on December 10 after the detention of a former Serbian policeman Dejan Pantic by Kosovo law enforcement agencies. The authorities accused Pantic of “terrorism”, saying that he allegedly “carried out attacks on Kosovo police officers together with members of criminal groups.” After his arrest, Serbian protesters, wishing to prevent his transfer to Pristina, erected barricades in the north of partially recognized Kosovo, blocking traffic through two main border crossings in the direction of Serbia. At the same time, the Kosovo police blocked the entrance from their side to the Yarine checkpoint. Gunfire was heard in a several settlements. The forces of the EU Special mission (EULEX) and NATO (KFOR) have already arrived at the crossing in northern Kosovo. Belgrade claimed that it will consider to send a request to the NATO mission to deploy forces of Serbian army and police in partially recognized Kosovo in accordance with the provisions of the UN Security Council resolution. If agreed to this may be the first such request from Belgrade since the end of the 1998-1999 war. The situation in the region is aggravated by the recently declared decision of the unrecognized republic to apply for EU membership by the end of 2022. Vucic called these plans a direct violation of the Washington agreements, signed in 2020 with the mediation of the United States. Belgrade was obliged to abandon its attempts to convince other states to not recognize Kosovo. In its turn, Pristina agreed not to submit new applications for membership in international organizations. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that the authorities of the self-proclaimed Republic of Kosovo and the United States are not fulfilling any of the previously reached agreements on the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija. He also commented on the recent statement of former German Chancellor Angela Merkel that the Minsk agreements were only needed to gain more time to strengthen the Ukrainian army and prepare for war against Russia. The Serbian leader believes that her words change the situation dramatically. “In every sense, first of all politically, and for me this is a clear signal of who cannot be trusted.” he said.