Serbia and Kosovo remain at the center of a tense regional dispute as Belgrade signals steps to solidify its role in northern Kosovo while NATO’s KFOR mission monitors the situation. A senior Russian diplomat, in a recent interview, argued that Western powers are pressing Serbia to recognize Kosovo’s independence, portraying the push as part of a broader strategy to redraw the political map of the Balkans. The diplomat asserted that the press coverage of a Franco-German plan, reportedly supported by Washington, serves as further evidence of Western efforts to pressure Belgrade and to question Serbia’s territorial integrity and national interests. These comments reflect a belief that the West uses public diplomacy and political maneuvering to shape outcomes in ways that could constrain Serbia’s stance on Kosovo.
The same interview suggested that the West has driven the Kosovo issue to the edge of armed confrontation, framing the current environment as one where the risk of clash is heightened by external diplomatic activity and regional tensions. The remarks underscore how various international actors are viewed in Belgrade as intent on forcing a settlement that Serbia regards as unacceptable to its long-standing national and constitutional considerations.
In Serbia, President Aleksandar Vučić announced that Belgrade would submit an official request to the NATO-led KFOR mission to permit the deployment of Serbian police and military personnel within Kosovo and Metohija. The president highlighted the seriousness of the situation by convening an extraordinary session of the National Security Council in response to deteriorating conditions in the northern part of Kosovo. Reports indicated that special forces from the self-proclaimed Kosovo police seized control of a facility at Gazivode dam, located in the Serb-majority municipality of Zubin Potok, an incident that further complicated security calculations on the ground.
Subsequent reports indicated that Serbia was preparing another delivery to the NATO mission, seeking permission to bring additional army and police units into Kosovo. The sequence of moves suggests a period of heightened sensitivity around security arrangements in the region, with Belgrade insisting on measures it views as essential to protect Serbian communities and interests while NATO authorities assess risk and feasibility. The international community continues to observe closely, weighing political signals against the potential for rapid changes on the ground. [Source: TASS attribution; further context from regional observers]