Comment Tensions flared between Kosovo and Serbia over the weekend, raising concerns of fresh unrest in the Balkans as Western allies focus on the war in Ukraine. The NATO-led international peacekeeping force in Kosovo, known as KFOR, said in a statement that it was closely monitoring the situation in Kosovo and “stands ready to intervene if stability is threatened.” Serbs in northern Kosovo municipalities bordering Serbia blocked roads and clashed with police on the eve of the implementation of a law requiring them to replace their license plates with Kosovo ones. The new rules were due to come into force on Monday and would require Serbian ID and passport holders to obtain an additional document to enter Kosovo, as is already the case for Kosovars entering Serbia. Josep Borrell, the European Union’s top diplomat, welcomed Kosovo’s decision to delay the measures until September 1 and called for all roadblocks to be lifted immediately. In a statement posted on Twitter, EU special envoy Miroslav Lajčak expressed his gratitude to the US ambassador to Kosovo, Jeffrey M. Hovenier, “for his strong support.” No one was injured in Sunday’s protests, Kosovo police said, even as shots were fired at various locations, some of which were directed at police units. Protesters parked trucks and other heavy machinery on roads leading to two border crossings. In a statement released on Sunday, Kosovo announced the one-month delay in implementing the new measures and condemned “the blocking of roads in the northern part of Kosovo and the firing of weapons by gunmen there.” The statement said the “aggressive actions” were instigated and planned by authorities in the Serbian capital of Belgrade. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has fueled wider tensions in the region. Analysts say Russia’s nationalist and revisionist worldview has found a receptive audience in the region, particularly in President Aleksandar Vucic of Serbia, Bosnian Serb political leader Milorad Dodik and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Serbia, a traditional ally of Russia, has rejected calls from the EU and the United States to join sanctions against Moscow. Russia — along with China — still does not recognize Kosovo’s independence and has denounced NATO’s war against its ally. The Western military alliance launched a bombing campaign in 1999 that hit targets across the then-combined Serbia and Montenegro in an attempt to halt Serbia’s offensive against Kosovo Albanians fighting for autonomy. Analysis: Russia’s war in Ukraine resonates in the Balkans Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, accused Kosovo on Sunday of using the new licensing laws and identity documents as a step towards expelling the Serb population. “We call on Pristina and the United States and the European Union to support it to stop the provocation and uphold the rights of Serbs in Kosovo,” he said, according to Russian news agency Tass, describing the demands as “discriminatory.” “If they dare to persecute and abuse and kill Serbs, Serbia will win,” Vucic told a news conference on Sunday. Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti accused Vucic of inciting the violence. Chico Harlan in Rome and Ishaan Tharoor contributed to this report.
