BELGRADE, May 28. /TASS/. The current escalation in Kosovo and Metohija may develop into a serious conflict, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic warned on Sunday.

"I think that the most dramatic developments in Kosovo and Metohija are only ahead, something we have never seen so far, something we cannot even imagine. And this will happen because of the provocative actions and awfully irresponsible behavior by [Kosovo’s Prime Minister] Albin Kurti. When I am saying this, I am afraid of general insecurity, instability. I am afraid of big conflicts, since I know that the Serbs cannot tolerate this and he who has started this [Kurti] will not step back. He is dreaming of being a kind of Zelensky," Vucic said in an interview with the Pink television channel.

He said that he had recently spoken with the ambassadors of European countries and they had expressed concern over the escalation in Kosovo and Metohija.

Serbian Defense Minister Milos Vucevic said earlier that the prime minister of the unrecognized republic of Kosovo was indulging in terrorist activities in Serb municipalities and concurrently wanted to present himself as a victim labelling Belgrade as aggressor, following the example of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky.

The situation in four municipalities in northern Kosovo and Metohija escalated on Friday after Kosovo law enforcement officers tried to seize the buildings of local administrations, despite the resistance of local residents. The Kosovo police reportedly used tear gas and flash bang grenades. According to the local mass media, a police car was set on fire in the Zvecan municipality and armored vehicles were reportedly deployed to the site. In response to the actions of the Kosovo authorities, Belgrade put its army on high alert and deployed troops to the administrative border with Kosovo.

Pristina insists that the new mayors of the four municipalities, who were elected amid the election boycotting by the Serb population, take their offices.

Elections to local self-governments in four municipalities - Zvecan, Zubin Potok, Leposavic and North Mitrovica - in northern Kosovo and Metohija were held on April 23. The elections were boycotted by the Serb List party because of Pristina’s non-fulfilment of its commitments. As a result, the voter turnout was a mere 3.47%, with 1,566 Albanians and only 13 out of 45,095 eligible Serbs taking part.