Russia urges NATO, EU to withdraw forces from Kosovo to prevent escalation

Russia on Tuesday expressed concerns over the rapidly deteriorating situation in Kosovo, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said. Russia's Foreign Ministry urged NATO and the European Union to press Pristina to remove its military from Kosovo's north in order to avoid the situation from escalating. Earlier, NATO Kosovo Force (KFOR) patrols arrived at a Yarine checkpoint at the administrative border between central Serbia and northern Kosovo and Metohija to provide security and freedom of movement.

"We are concerned as we witness rising tensions in Kosovo, which have been sparked by the Kosovo Albanian government' irresponsible conduct... It is clear today that the situation is deteriorating from poor to worse... We emphasise once more that the NATO forces in Kosovo and the EU mission... have anti-injustice mandates and hence bear full responsibility for safeguarding people and maintaining peace and security. It is necessary to apply intense pressure on the Pristina administration to withdraw security personnel from Kosovo's north and prevent the situation from devolving into open conflict," Zakharova said in a statement issued by the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Serbs in Northern Kosovo stage peaceful rally

Serbs in northern Kosovo conducted a peaceful rally along the administrative border between the province and central Serbia on September 20 to protest Kosovo's ban on Serbian licence plates. The new rule compels all vehicles entering Kosovo to have temporary Pristina-issued licence plates, which has sparked outrage among the Serbian populace. At Yarine and Brnjak checkpoints, Kosovar police used tear gas against protesters in the evening, but they refused to disperse.

Serbian President will appeal to NATO & KFOR

In a special address, Serbian President Aleksandar Vui stated that Serbia will appeal to NATO and the international KFOR contingent operating under the alliance's aegis to defend Serb lives and property in Kosovo. General Zahir Tanin, the UN Secretary-special General's representative, urged all parties involved in the conflict in self-proclaimed Kosovo to avoid fighting and instead engage in discussion, Sputnik reported.

(Image: AP)