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Kosovo ripe for new escalation — Russian ambassador

The situation in the Serb-populated Leposavic, Zubin Potok, and Zvecan municipalities in northern Kosovo and Metohija escalated on May 26

MOSCOW, June 23. /TASS/. The situation in northern Kosovo and Metohija remains tense, with another spiral of escalation being possible any moment, Russian Ambassador to Serbia Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko said on Friday.

"Naturally, I wouldn’t say that the tensions are as high as they were a couple of weeks ago. They have somewhat decreased, but, let me repeat, there are no significant changes and a new round of escalation may flare up any moment," he said in an interview with the Rossiya-24 television channel.

The situation in the Serb-populated Leposavic, Zubin Potok, and Zvecan municipalities in northern Kosovo and Metohija escalated on May 26 after Kosovo law enforcement officers tried to seize local administration buildings to make it possible for the new mayors of these municipalities, who were elected despite nearly the entire Serb population boycotting the elections, take their offices. On May 29, the NATO-led international security force in Kosovo (KFOR) cordoned off the administrative buildings, clashing with the protesters. The Kosovo police detained seven local Serbs on charges of using force against KFOR troops during protests on May 29. However, according to a video shot during the rally, these men were merely sitting on the ground in front of the KFOR troops.

During a phone call with US senators, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that Prime Minister of the unrecognized republic of Kosovo Albin Kurti was provoking hostilities in the very heart of Europe. He also lambasted the activity of the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX).

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