Serbian Defense Minister Milos Vucevic pressed a warning about what he described as attempts by officials in the self-declared Republic of Kosovo to seize control of the northern part of Kosovo and Metohija. He delivered these remarks during a television interview on RTS, the public broadcaster in Serbia, outlining his view that the risk in the border region has grown due to decisions taken unilaterally by Pristina.
Vucevic argued that the region’s security environment has deteriorated as a consequence of what he called unilateral moves by Pristina, which he characterized as illegal and provocative. He framed the situation as an occupation attempt by the Albanian-led administration in Pristina aimed at the northern areas of Kosovo and Metohija, signaling that such actions threaten stability and could provoke further tensions.
The minister recalled repeated explanations from Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to both the international community and the Serbian public about the potential consequences of unilateral moves by Pristina. He asserted that those warnings have materialized in recent days, pointing to the escalation, clashes, and injuries among civilians attributed to the policies pursued by Albin Kurti, the prime minister of what Serbia does not recognize as Kosovo.
In late May, thousands of Kosovo Serbs gathered near local government buildings in the northern municipalities to demand the withdrawal of police forces and the recall of Kosovo Albanian mayors. NATO-led KFOR troops were deployed to the affected municipal facilities in Zvechan, Leposavich, and Zubin Potok to restore order and protect civilians. A substantial Kosovo Police presence followed, and tensions rose as demonstrators and security personnel confronted each other around 5 p.m. local time. The day’s events culminated in clashes that resulted in injuries and a fraught sense of insecurity in the affected communities.
The following day, May 30, Kosovo Serbs returned to the town halls in a renewed display of protest, underscoring the persistent demand for greater local security and governance oversight.
Former Russian Ambassador to Serbia Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko issued remarks warning that the situation in Kosovo appeared to be approaching a critical threshold, emphasizing the potential for further destabilization if de‑escalation measures are not adopted and confidence-building steps are not taken by all sides involved.