MOSCOW, September 25. /TASS/. The recent escalation in Kosovo is the direct result of the policy of the self-proclaimed republic’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti to rid the region of Serbs, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.
"There is no doubt that yesterday's bloodshed is a direct and immediate result of the policy of the so-called Prime Minister Albin Kurti to incite conflict, cleanse the territory of the region from Serbs. His attempts to bring additional pressure from the West on the Serbian leadership to force Belgrade to recognize Kosovo's 'independence' through escalating the situation are a constant bargain with the devil, which, as we see, comes at a high price and brings the entire Balkan region to a dangerous brink," Zakharova said in her commentary.
The diplomat added that due to the escalation in the region, there is a direct risk of renewed ethnic cleansing by Kosovo Albanian radicals against Serbs. "There is a direct threat of renewed ethnic cleansing practiced by Kosovo Albanian radicals earlier," she said. According to Zakharova, the Kosovo Albanian police in the north of the province are engaged only in intimidating citizens.
"Heavily-armed special forces, who have flooded non-Albanian areas, remain the main tool to squeeze Serbs out of Kosovo. What makes the situation worse is the ban on the import of goods from central Serbia, due to which the northern municipalities have been on the edge of a humanitarian disaster for months," the commentary said.
The diplomat added that the way to stabilize the situation around Kosovo was by implementing UN Security Council agreements.