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Russian embassy urges US to refrain from ‘pumping Pristina up’ with weapons

Serbia’s Vecernje novosti newspaper said the US had delivered several M-1117 armored security vehicles to

WASHINGTON, June 9. /TASS/. The United States should comply with UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and refrain from the policy of "pumping Pristina up with military equipment and weapons," the Russian embassy in Washington said in a Twitter post.

"We urge the US to follow UNSC Resolution 1244 and abandon the policy of pumping Pristina up with military equipment and weapons, the statement says. "Such provocative steps undermine efforts for the Kosovo settlement and raise inter-ethnic and inter-confessional tensions"

Serbia’s Vecernje novosti newspaper said on its website on Monday that the US handed over free of charge several M-1117 armored security vehicles to troops of the self-proclaimed republic of Kosovo. According to the paper, the unrecognized republic’s Defense Minister Armend Mehaj examined the vehicles at a military base in the Serbian city of Uroshevac.

In late April, the US diplomatic mission to Pristina published on its Twitter page images of the M-1117 vehicles, delivered to Kosovo. Commenting on those photos, US diplomats said the country’s military instructors arrived to the region to train Kosovo servicemen in using those vehicles.

The UN Security Council's Resolution 1244, adopted on June 10, 1999, confirmed that the autonomous territory of Kosovo and Metohija are integral parts of Serbia. The authorities of Kosovo unilaterally proclaimed the territory's independence in February 2008. More than 60 countries, including Russia, India and China, as well as five EU members, are against the recognition of Kosovo.