Kosovo

The EU has urged Kosovo to back down in a dangerous confrontation with ethnic Serbs seeking more independence. Kosovo should "immediately" pull back security forces, withdraw disputed mayors, and hold new local elections in the ethnic trouble-spots in northern Kosovo, EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said on Thursday (22 June).

EU spokesman Peter Stano on Wednesday said the 27 EU member states had “unanimously” agreed to take “reversible and temporary measures” against Kosovo, “depending on the development on the ground and credible decisive steps by (Kosovo) Prime Minister (Albin) Kurti”.

Serbian arrest of 3 Kosovo police officers triggers new row

Three Kosovo police officers were detained by Serbian forces on Wednesday but officials from Kosovo and Serbia gave different locations for the arrest, accusing each other of crossing the border illegally.

The Council appointed today a new Head of Mission (HoM) for the EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX Kosovo). Mr Giovanni Pietro Barbano will replace Mr Lars-Gunnar Wigemark as HoM. Mr Barbano is a Major General in the Italian Carabinieri and the current Director of the Center of Excellence for Stability Police Units in Vicenza, Italy.

Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama said on Thursday that he has sent a proposal to France’s President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for the statute of the Association of Serb-Majority Municipalities in Kosovo – a move that was not well-received by the Pristina authorities.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said he will try to use his influence to persuade Serbs in northern Kosovo to take part in elections, the U.S. envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, told journalists on June 7 in Belgrade.

Four days after violence erupted in three of the northern municipalities against newly-elected ethnic Albanian mayors who were installed last Friday under police guard, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the EU urged new elections.

Kosovo’s relations with its key US ally deteriorated sharply as Washington said it will impose penalties until Pristina takes measures to de-escalate the tense situation that led to violent unrest in the Serb-majority north of the country.

At least 34 NATO peacekeepers, along with members of Kosovo’s police force and members of the public, have been injured during clashes with Serbian protestors, leading to frantic calls for calm from Pristina and internationals. For its part, Belgrade has called on the international community to step in and pressure Kosovo, warning, though, that “If the Albanian invader shoots, then the situation will be different”.

(President Maia) Sandu’s announcement comes after the foreign ministers of the European Union last Monday agreed to send a new civilian mission to Moldova to strengthen its security against hybrid threats in the context of Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine.