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Russian ambassador says KFOR helped Pristina use violence against civilians

"I can not say that the peacekeepers played no role here, because in this case they condoned escalation," Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko said

BELGRADE, September 25. /TASS/. The NATO-led Kosovo Force not only failed to comply with its mission in the events that took place in Kosovo and Metohija on Sunday, but also abetted police in unrecognized Kosovo in using violence against civilians, Russian Ambassador to Serbia Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko said following talks with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

"I can not say that the peacekeepers played no role here, because in this case they condoned escalation, condoned the use of force against civilians. Although they should protect them and get involved, and they should [do so] not under the auspices of NATO, but as it should be and as it is spelled out in the UN Security Council resolution. In fact, they do the bidding of NATO and the West. It's quite obvious," he told Russian reporters.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic stated in his September 24 address to the nation that members of the Kosovo Force, also known as KFOR, assisted the police of self-proclaimed Kosovo in an operation against local Serbs, saying they essentially offered Albin Kurti, the prime minister of the breakaway region, carte blanche to kill them. Vucic said Kurti, who is backed by the international community, is the only person responsible for what had happened.

Earlier, Kurti published photos of masked gunmen and said they had attacked police officers with support from Serbian authorities. He said Kosovo law enforcement agencies were conducting an operation to apprehend the suspects. According to Kurti, one policeman was killed and another was wounded the night into Sunday. Vucic later said police in Kosovo killed three Serbs and seriously wounded two others. According to the Serbian president, after what happened, Belgrade will never recognize Kosovo’s independence.

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