BELGRADE, November 22. /TASS/. Western countries are deliberately leading Kosovo and Metohija into conflict, creating a ‘security vacuum’, Russian envoy to Serbia Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko said on Tuesday.

"Kosovan ‘Prime Minister’ Kurti has once again rejected EU proposals to stabilize the situation in northern Kosovo, which is on the brink of conflict. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has once again demonstrated a constructive attitude. <...> Of course, the ‘security vacuum’ referred to by [EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy] Josep Borrell is dangerous, but why the head of EU diplomacy thinks that neither the EU mission [EULEX - European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo] nor the NATO Kosovo Force [KFOR] can fill it in to avoid a crisis is impossible to understand. <...> It seems that the West deliberately leaves a ‘security vacuum’ for the Kosovo Security Force to fill in. We warn you: this is a path to conflict," the press service of the Russian Embassy in Belgrade quotes the envoy as saying.

Earlier, Prime Minister of the unrecognized Kosovo Albin Kurti, at the request of US envoy to Pristina Jeffrey Hovenier, postponed for 48 hours the entry into force of a decision to impose fines on Serbian residents of the region who had not changed their Serbian license plates. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic stated on Monday that the talks between Belgrade and Pristina aimed at finding a solution to the issue of license plates in northern Kosovo and Metohija have not yielded any result.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told a news conference after a meeting of the European Council on November 14 that delegates from Belgrade and Pristina would hold EU-brokered talks in Brussels. He said that a solution must be found before November 29 to avoid a serious crisis.

On November 5, Kosovo and Metohija Serbs withdrew from all power institutions of unrecognized Kosovo after the Kosovo authorities had decided to fine those who did not change their Serbian license plates starting November 22. Fines will amount to 150 euros. After April 21, 2023, when the transition period is over, the Kosovo police will be authorized to confiscate cars with Serbian license plates.