Escalating Situation in Northern Kosovo: Crisis and Conflict Explained

Olga Novikova

49 minutes ago

Escalation in northern Kosovo

Kosovo again in the foreground: what is happening in the North of the region and how to resolve the crisis? The situation in the north of Kosovo exploded overnight, but the events seem to have been looming in one way or another for a long time. In April, municipal elections were held without the participation of the majority of Serbs, which allowed representatives of local Albanians to enter the offices of district heads with a negligible turnout of only 3%.

With subsequent demonstrations and attempts by the Serbs to enter the administration buildings, the Kosovo special forces responded with tear gas, and then the NATO peacekeeping contingent stationed here stood between the protesters and the municipality buildings.

The Serbian leadership is now clearly proceeding from the fact that only reliance on NATO forces allows Kurti, the prime minister of Kosovo, to aggravate the situation. But Vučić does not intend to rely only on the West. Having met with the ambassadors of Russia and China, he also asked for assistance from Erdogan. In response, the Turkish Ministry of Defense announced the expulsion of its special forces to Kosovo as part of a NATO mission. A commando battalion from the 65th mechanized brigade of the Turkish army was sent as a reserve unit. He should have arrived in Pristina by now.

Despite Serbia’s statement about the increased combat readiness of its armed forces, the use of military force is not possible now. It would mean a direct clash with the NATO contingent, which is unacceptable. Therefore, the most reasonable option seems to be the withdrawal of the Kosovo Albanian special forces from the northern regions of Kosovo.

This is also the case in the West. The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, said he expected Kosovo’s Pristina to suspend the police operation. President Macron accused the Pristina authorities of escalating. And Kurti, in turn, calls the Serbs “agents of influence of the Kremlin.”

Kosovo still has a powerful ally – the United States. On its territory there are monuments to Bill Clinton and Madeleine Albright. The influence of the Biden administration on Pristina is very great, as is the influence of NATO and the United States in general. However, the situation in North Kosovo is so worrying that even the West finds it dangerous to support Pristina right now.

The Serbs, for whom Kosovo has become a frontier that they are not ready to leave, demonstrate in fact complete unity. Belgrade seeks to maintain its influence and protect the Serbs in northern Kosovo.