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Escalation in Kosovo

NATO authorizes more KFOR troops to address situation in Kosovo

The North Atlantic Council also urged all parties to de-escalate as soon as possible

© AP Photo/Radul Radovanovic

BRUSSELS, September 29. /TASS/. The North Atlantic Council has decided to send in more KFOR troops to help stabilize the situation in Kosovo.

"Since May, we have enhanced KFOR’s presence and posture. Only yesterday the North Atlantic Council authorized additional forces to address the current situation," the bloc said in a press release. "We will always continue to make sure that our Commander has the resources and flexibility necessary for KFOR to fulfil its mandate. We stand ready to make further adjustments to KFOR’s posture as required," the document reads without specifying the exact number of troops.

However, NATO said KFOR continues to coordinate closely with Belgrade and Pristina, as well as the OSCE, the EU Rule of Law Mission and the UN Mission to Kosovo. The North Atlantic Council also urged all parties to de-escalate as soon as possible.

The North Atlantic Council announced the deployment of 700 more troops to Kosovo to try to quell the violence when tensions last flared up there in late May. KFOR currently includes around 5,000 peacekeepers.

On September 24, during his address to the nation, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that representatives from the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) had practically given carte blanche to Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti to slaughter Serbs in the incident in northern Kosovo where three Serbian nationals had been murdered. The KFOR representatives were assisting the police of the self-proclaimed republic of Kosovo in an operation against local Serbs.

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NATO Escalation in Kosovo

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