Foreign Ministry: Moscow is alarmed by the new aggravation of the situation in Kosovo

Moscow is alarmed by the new aggravation of the situation in Kosovo and is following the development of the situation, said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. Her statement published on the website of the Foreign Ministry.

“We are alarmed by the new aggravation of the situation in the Serbian region. We are monitoring its development literally around the clock, especially after a series of provocations that, with the connivance of the United States and the European Union, were undertaken by the “authorities” in Pristina, who have taken a course towards tougher repressions against Serbs in Kosovo,” Zakharova said.

The diplomat believes that the goal of the “provocateurs” is to take the non-Albanian northern regions of the province under full control. She blamed the deterioration of the security situation on the leaders of Kosovo, led by Prime Minister Albin Kurti, and their “Western guardians.”

“We will continue to help Belgrade defend legitimate national interests with regard to Kosovo based on Security Council Resolution 1244, which remains in effect without any exceptions and provides a real chance to work out a balanced, fair solution to the Kosovo problem, in line with international law,” concluded Foreign Ministry representative.

The situation in the region escalated On December 10, after an ethnic Serb and former Kosovo police officer, Dejan Pantić, was detained at the Jarine checkpoint for an alleged attack on an electoral commission. The Serbian population in response began to erect barricades, blocking the passage along the highway in several settlements near the checkpoint, and went to protests. One of the goals of this action was to prevent the transfer of Pantic to Pristina.

Patrols from the EU mission in Kosovo (EULEX) and members of the NATO-led international security forces in Kosovo and Metohija (KFOR) were then deployed to the barricades. The head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell, on Twitter warned that the EU would not tolerate attacks on its mission, and demanded that the Kosovo Serbs “immediately remove the barricades.” Kurti said that he turned to the NATO KFOR mission about the barricades erected by the Serbs, and added that he was waiting for an answer until the evening of December 11, after which he promised to dismantle them on his own. After that, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić convened emergency meeting of the Security Council of the country.