NATO Secretary General announces dispatch of 700 more troops to Kosovo

NATO will send an additional 700 troops to the self-proclaimed Kosovo. Jens Stoltenberg, secretary general of the alliance, announced this at a press conference in Oslo. The broadcast was on the NATO website.

“NATO will send an additional 700 troops to Kosovo and will increase the readiness level of another battalion so that it can be sent if necessary,” Stoltenberg said.

He noted that NATO forces strive to ensure the security of the entire population of the region.

Another aggravation of the situation in the north of Kosovo and Metohija occurred on May 26. In the Serb-majority municipalities of Zubin Potok, Zvecan and Leposavić, protests began over the results of the last elections, which were won by the Albanians. Serbian protesters demanded the cancellation of the results and the resignation of the heads of municipalities. In response, the Kosovo police fired tear gas and stun grenades in some municipalities. As a result of the clashes, 52 Serbs and 41 KFOR peacekeepers were injured.

On the same day, the Serbian army was broughtand in full combat readiness and advanced to the administrative border with Kosovo. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić gave the order to do so. The country’s Defense Minister Milos Vucevic warned of the threat of a “complete collapse of the dialogue” between Belgrade and Pristina.

At the Russian Foreign Ministry condemned actions of the Kosovo authorities in connection with “new anti-Serb provocations”. The EU and NATO called on the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo to stop the escalation.

Earlier today, Russian Ambassador to Serbia Alexander Botan-Kharchenko named “escalation factor” the transition of NATO forces to the side of the Kosovo special forces. The diplomat also noted that the situation in Kosovo came to a critical point and became “explosive”. Vučić at a meeting with the ambassador thanked Russia for a “principled position” on the issue of sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia.