3 members of an armed unit killed[7][8][9] 6+ other members wounded Serbian claim: 55+ protesters injured Kosovar claim: 13+ members of an armed Serb unit killed
1 Žandarmerija member arrested, according to the Kosovo Police.
Beginning on 31 July 2022, tensions between Kosovo and Serbia heightened due to the expiration of the eleven-year validity period of documents for cars on 1 August 2022, between the government of Kosovo and the Serbs in North Kosovo. Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008, signed an agreement with Serbia in 2011 that determined the use of license plates in North Kosovo. This agreement was supposed to change license plates from the ones that were issued by Serbia to neutral ones. The agreement for the change was extended in 2016 and expired in 2021, which led to a crisis in 2021 that ended with an agreement to terminate the ban of Kosovo-issued license plates in Serbia.
After a Kosovo announcement that Serbian citizens who enter Kosovo will receive entry and exit documents, a number of barricades were created in North Kosovo on 31 July 2022 but were removed two days later after Kosovo announced that it would postpone the ban on license plates issued by Serbia. In August 2022, unsuccessful negotiations regarding license plates were held, although the ID document dispute was solved. A proposed agreement, dubbed the "German-French proposal" by the media, would be the basis of consultations beginning in January 2023.
Albin Kurti declined to postpone the deadline for license plates and instead announced a phased implementation that would run from November 2022 until April 2023. Before this began, a number of Kosovo Serb police officers, mayors, judges, and Serb Listmembers of parliament resigned from government institutions. Kosovo and Serbia negotiated again in November 2022 and they had found an agreement on 23 November 2022 which settled that license plates that Serbia issued would continue to be in use in North Kosovo.
Kosovo formally signed an application to seek candidate status for European Union membership on 14 December 2022, its impending signature resulted in a number of barricades being set up in North Kosovo on 10 December; they were dismantled on 30 December. In Serbia, far-right groups staged protests in support of Kosovo Serbs. In December 2022, Serbia submitted a request to Kosovo Force for the deployment of up to 1,000 Serbian military and police forces in Kosovo, which ended up being rejected in January 2023.
In April local elections were held, boycotted by ethnic Serbs. Based on an extremely low number of votes, ethnic Albanian mayors were elected. On 26 May 2023, Kosovo took control of the North Kosovo municipal buildings by force, to enable the newly elected ethnic Albanian mayors to physically assume office. A civil disturbance occurred, and Serbia put its armed forces on alert. The decision of Kosovo to use force was condemned by the United States and the EU. With mayors unable to perform their duties, in July Kosovo announced that new mayor elections will be held.
From 1 January 2024 Serbia implemented the 2011 agreement and recognised Kosovo license plates.[16]
An agreement between Serbia and Kosovo was concluded on the use of license plates in 2011.[28] Up to that point, Serbia issued Serbian license plates for North Kosovo, although after the agreement the license plates were changed to neutral ones.[28] This agreement was extended in 2016 and was valid until September 2021.[28] After the expiration of the agreement, a crisis occurred and it lasted until October 2021 when another agreement was reached, which effectively ended the ban of Kosovar license plates in Serbia.[29][30] This agreement was initially intended to be temporary, although in April 2022, the agreement was extended for a further period.[31][32]
Later that day, the ministry of defence of Serbia stated that "the Serbian Army did not cross the border into Kosovo", amid reports that it did enter Kosovo.[40]Aleksandar Vučić, the president of Serbia, also stated that he would want the ban to be postponed.[41] He added that "if they don't want to keep the peace, Serbia will win";[42] Kurti accused Vučić and Petar Petković, the director of the office for Kosovo and Metohija, for being responsible for the unrest.[43] According to the government of Serbia, one Serb was wounded at the Jarinje border crossing, although the government of Kosovo denied that and stated that only some shooting occurred.[44][45] Additionally, one gunman also fired on the Kosovo Police.[39]
The Kosovo Police reported that one of their patrols was attacked with fire on 6 August near the border.[51] Opposition political parties in Kosovo accused Kurti of "scaring investors about a possible new conflict with Serbia"; Kurti denied the accusations and instead blamed Russia and Vladimir Putin, accusing them of spreading disinformation.[52][53] At a joint news conference and negotiations with Kurti and Vučić, Jens Stoltenberg, the secretary general of NATO, stated that "NATO urges restraint but stands ready to intervene if needed".[54][55] A day later, Borrell met with Kurti and Vučić; Borrell stated that the meeting ended without an agreement, but that the talks would also resume in the following days.[56][57] On 19 August, NATO deployed further KFOR forces in North Kosovo for peacekeeping purposes.[58] Additionally, Vučić stated that KFOR forces should "do their job" and vowed to "defend Kosovo Serbs if NATO failed to do so".[59]
Borrell announced that the ID document dispute was settled on 27 August.[60] It was announced that Serbia agreed to abolish entry and exit documents for Kosovo ID holders while Kosovo committed to refrain from implementing such measures for Serbian ID holders.[60] Vučić stated that he was "very happy that we found a solution", while Igor Simić, the vice president of the Serb List, stated that "this was the victory of Serbian diplomacy".[61][62] Kurti also praised the agreement, but received criticism from opposition parties in Kosovo due to allegedly continuing the policy of his opponent Hashim Thaçi.[63][64] Political parties in Serbia, such as the People's Party (Narodna) and Dveri, criticized the agreement.[64]
September
The agreement, which was signed on 27 August, started being implemented on 1 September.[65][66]Ana Brnabić, the prime minister of Serbia, visited North Mitrovica on 5 September where she met with representatives of the Serb List.[67][68] During her speech, she stated that she would be willing to "compromise in the interest of peace and stability".[69] On the same day, Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, and Olaf Scholz, the chancellor of Germany, urged Vučić and Kurti to "move past differences at a moment of crucial importance for security".[70] In a speech to the National Assembly of Serbia on 13 September, Vučić stated that "a realistic solution should be offered for Kosovo, but Serbia will not recognize its independence".[71]
A proposed agreement that was sent by Lajčák, Jens Plötner[de] and Emmanuel Bonne, associates of Scholz and Macron respectively, was leaked on 19 September.[72][73][74] A day later, NATO announced that it would send more KFOR forces in case of new tensions.[75] The ministry of internal affairs of Kosovo confirmed on 21 September that cars with license plates that were issued by Serbia will be considered to be unregistered after 1 November.[76]
October
In early October, Kosovo and Serbia confirmed the existence of the proposed agreement.[77] Vučić stated that according to the proposed agreement, Kosovo would receive membership in the United Nations, while Serbia in exchange would receive a sped up accession to the European Union.[78][79]Radio Free Europe disputed this claim and instead claimed that the agreement includes "development of good relations on the basis of equal rights, recognition of national symbols, special arrangement for the Serb community and the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo, deepening cooperation at all levels, an agreement on all prior agreements and that Serbia will not oppose Kosovo's membership in any international organization".[80] Osmani stated that the proposed agreement is "a good basis for talks" but that "we never said that the document as such without any changes can be acceptable for Kosovo".[81] The media has dubbed the agreement as "German-French proposal".[82][83]
Gabriel Escobar, the U.S. State Department special envoy for the Balkans, stated on 20 October that Kosovo should postpone the deadline.[84]Goran Rakić, the leader of the Serb List, met with Vučić on 27 October.[85] During a press conference, Rakić stated that "if Kosovo starts enforcing the confiscation of vehicles and license plates, we will use all means against it" but assured that "all democratic and peaceful means" would be only used.[85][86] Kurti declined to postpone the deadline,[87] although on 28 October he announced a phased implementation of the change of license plates up to 21 April.[88][89] He also added that cars with license plates that were issued by Serbia will be "reprimanded, then fined, and then forced to attach probationary plates to their cars".[88]
November
A Serbian Army base located near the Kosovo border
The phased implementation began on 1 November.[90][91] A day later, Nenad Đurić, the director of the Regional Police Directorate for North Kosovo, stated that the police in North Kosovo would not implement the decision on the re-registration of license plates that were issued by Serbia to the ones that are issued by Kosovo.[92] On 5 November, hundreds of Kosovo Serb police officers, mayors, judges, and Serb List members of parliament withdrew from government institutions in protest.[93][94][95] In response, Kurti, Borrell, and Christopher R. Hill, the United States ambassador to Serbia, stated that "withdrawing is not the answer to the crisis", while Vučić accused Kurti of ignoring the Brussels Agreement; Kurti stated three days prior that the Community of Serb Municipalities does not exist.[93][96] On 6 November, a protest that was organized by the Serb List was held in North Mitrovica.[97][98] Mass resignations of Kosovo Serbs continued to take place after the resignations on 5 November, after which Kurti accused Serbia of "trying to destabilize Kosovo".[99][100] As a response, NATO deployed more KFOR peacekeeping troops.[101]
Ivica Dačić, now-minister of foreign affairs of Serbia, stated on 6 November that the proposed agreement is "unacceptable" and claimed that the agreement "starts from the position that Kosovo is independent".[102] Kurti and Vučić met with Macron and Borrell in France on 11 November where they discussed about the crisis.[103][104] Borrell said that Kurti and Vučić did not reject the proposed agreement and that Kosovo Serbs should return to the government institutions, while he also urged Kurti to form the Community of Serb Municipalities.[104][105] Vučić also accused Germany and United Kingdom of allegedly backing Kurti.[106] Following the meeting, Osmani announced that local elections will be held in four municipalities in North Kosovo in December 2022; the election was later postponed to April 2023.[107] Kurti and Vučić met again with Lajčák and Borrell to discuss about the implementation of license plates on 21 November.[108] They failed to reach an agreement, although Kurti soon after announced that he had accepted the proposal from the United States to postpone the application of the measure to punish car owners who have not changed license plates that were issued by Serbia for two days.[108][109] A day later, another series of talks were held during which an agreement between Kosovo and Serbia was reached.[110] Borrell stated that Kosovo and Serbia would now "concentrate on normalizing their relations", while Petković, who was one of the negotiators, stated that license plates that were issued by Serbia would continue to be in use in North Kosovo.[110][111][112] On the same day, two anti-government protests were held in North Mitrovica and Gračanica.[113][114][115]
Amidst the crisis, the ministry of defence of Serbia claimed that "several drones have entered Serbian airspace from Kosovo over past three days" on 2 November.[116] Vučić ordered to "eliminate" any drones that enter the Serbian airspace and placed the Serbian Army on "high alert".[116][117] The ministry of defence of Serbia also claimed that a "commercial drone" was destroyed near army barracks in Raška, although Armend Mehaj, the minister of defence of Kosovo, denied that any drones from Kosovo entered the Serbian airspace.[117][118]
December
A barricade in North Kosovo on 12 December 2022
A protest was held in Belgrade on 12 December 2022 in support of Kosovo Serbs
Kosovo Serbs held an anti-government protest near Zvečan on 22 December 2022
Kurti appointed Nenad Rašić as the minister of communities and returns on 1 December, a position which was held by Rakić until his resignation on 5 November.[119] Serb List claimed that his appointment was "unconstitutional", while Vučić called Rašić the "worst Serbian scum" during a press conference.[120][121] During the EU-Western Balkans summit in Tirana on 6 December, Vučić and Osmani received an updated version of the proposed agreement.[122][123] Additionally, Osmani officially announced that Kosovo would apply to join the European Union in December 2022;[122][124] Kosovo formally signed an application to seek the candidate status for European Union membership on 14 December, with Vučić claiming that Kosovo violated the Washington Agreement by signing the application.[125][126][127]
On 8 December, Petković stated that Serbia would consider deploying 1,000 Serbian military forces to Kosovo, citing content of the Article 4 and Annex 2, Article 6 of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244, due to claims that the Regional Operational Support Unit (ROSU) allegedly raided North Mitrovica.[128][129][130] The government of Kosovo denied that ROSU entered North Mitrovica, stating that "it was the police, and not some other unit".[128][131] On the same day, Kosovo Police reported that a group of armed people attacked one of their police officers.[132][133] A day later, Brnabić agreed with Petković and accused KFOR of "failing to protect Serbs" from an alleged harassment of Kosovo Serbs.[134] Osmani described the consideration as "an act of aggression".[135] On 10 December, Vučić stated that he will send a request to KFOR in order to deploy military and police forces in Kosovo, although he also added that he "knows that this request will be rejected".[136][137][138] Escobar stated on 13 December that "the United States is against Serbia sending military forces to Kosovo".[139] Serbia sent a request to KFOR for the deployment of 1,000 Serbian military and police forces on 16 December.[140][141] A number of barricades began forming after an arrest of Dejan Pantić, a former police officer of Serb ethnicity, on the same day.[142][143] It was reported that the barricades were seen at Leposavić and Zvečan and that air raid sirens were also turned on.[142] Kosovo Police then announced that border crossings at Jarinje and Brnjak would be closed.[142]Xhelal Sveçla, the minister of internal affairs of Kosovo, stated that Pantić was one of the suspects who attacked police officers in the days preceding the formation of the barricades;[143] Pantić was sentenced to a house arrest on 28 December.[144] A day later, a stun grenade was thrown at a car that belonged to the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX), although there were no reported injuries.[145][146] Borrell and NATO condemned the attack, with Borrell also stating that the barricades should be removed.[147][148] On the same day, Kurti asked KFOR to guarantee "freedom of movement" after accusing demonstrators of blocking the roads, while Vučić vowed to "maintain peace".[145][149] The protests remained peaceful while schools in North Kosovo were temporarily closed.[150][151]
An ultranationalist protest in support of Kosovo Serbs was held in Belgrade on 12 December; demonstrators chanted slogans such as "Kosovo is Serbia" and burned Kosovo flags.[152][153] The protest was attended by far-right groups such as Dveri, People's Patrol, and Serbian Right.[154] On the same day, Borrell announced that the European Union would reinforce EULEX, which is tasked with patrolling North Kosovo.[155][156] After a meeting with Kurti on 13 December, Lajčák said that the "barricades should be removed with a political agreement, rather than with bulldozers", while Escobar said that he expects an agreement regarding the Community of Serb Municipalities.[157][158] People's Patrol and other far-right groups staged another protest on 18 December, although this time at the Jarinje border crossing.[159] The demonstrators were stopped by KFOR after they tried to go through the border crossing.[160] Kosovo Serbs organized a mass protest near Zvečan on 22 December.[161] At the protest, Rakić demanded the government to "release all arrested Serbs and to withdraw the Kosovo Police from North Kosovo".[162] A shooting occurred on 25 December at Zubin Potok after Kosovo Police allegedly attempted to remove barricades from a nearby road;[163][164] Kosovo Police denied this, however KFOR confirmed that some shooting did occur near their patrols.[165][166][167] Shortly after, more barricades were formed near North Mitrovica and the Merdare border crossing, while Miloš Vučević, the minister of defence of Serbia, announced that the Serbian Army was put up "on the highest level of alert", with the order coming from Vučić.[167][168][169] Due to the barricades, the government of Kosovo closed the Merdare border crossing on 28 December.[170][171] A day later, Kosovo Serbs agreed to start dismantling the barricades after an agreement that was reached a day prior;[172][173] they were removed by 30 December.[174] Caroline Ziadeh, the head of UNMIK, welcomed this decision, while the "increased combat readiness" of the Serbian Army was also abolished.[175][176] Border crossings were also re-opened.[177]
2023
January
On 8 January, it was announced that KFOR declined Serbia's request to deploy up to 1,000 Serbian military and police forces in Kosovo.[178][179] Kurti and Osmani met with Derek Chollet, the counselor of the United States Department of State, on 11 January, and two days later, Chollet met with Vučić.[180][181] Chollet stated that "Serbia and Kosovo should normalize relations" and that "in the end, Serbia will have to recognize some of Kosovo's sovereignty", while "Kosovo should give ethnic Serbs more autonomy".[182] After consultations on 20 January, Lajčák, Escobar, Plötner, Bonne, and Francesco Talo, the diplomatic advisor to prime minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni, expressed their support for the "French-German proposal", while Lajčák commented that the "formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities is crucial".[183] On 23 January, the Kosovo Police shot at a car on the Mitrovica-Leposavić highway, wounding one Serb; Kosovo Police claimed that the car previously "hit a police car, putting the life of a police officer in direct danger".[184][185]
February
After negotiations with Lajčák on 6 February, Kurti announced that he would accept the French-German proposal, stating that "it would be a good basis for further negotiations".[186][187] Additionally, Kurti stated that "the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities will be only possible after mutual recognition from Serbia".[188] On 27 February 2023, an agreement was verbally accepted by Kosovar prime minister Albin Kurti and Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić which would lead towards a signed agreement.
March
A plan, the Ohrid Agreement, setting out a plan to advance towards normalization was agreed on 18March 2023.[189]
April
On 10 April, a Serb civilian was shot and wounded while driving near a Kosovo Police checkpoint. The police initially denied the shooting had occurred, but hours later, four officers were arrested and remanded in custody for 48 hours—one for opening fire and three for not reporting the incident.[190] In protest of recent events, the Serb population of North Kosovo boycotted the local elections of 23 April 2023, which were originally supposed to take place the previous December but were postponed. Kosovar election officials set up shipping containers next to roads and used them as makeshift polling stations guarded by heavily armed members of the Kosovo Police.[191] Of 45,000 eligible voters, only 1,567 ballots were cast, representing a turnout of 3.47 per cent—the lowest in Kosovo's history. Despite the low turnout, U.S. officials announced they would recognize the results.[192] As a result of the boycott, ethnic Albanian mayors were elected in all four municipalities. The Vetëvendosje party of Kosovo's prime minister Albin Kurti won the mayoral races in North Mitrovica and Leposavić, while candidates from the opposition Democratic Party of Kosovo were declared the winners in Zvečan and Zubin Potok.[193]
May
On 26 May 2023, Kosovo police took control of the municipal buildings in Zvečan, Zubin Potok and Leposavić to allow the newly elected mayors – with whom ethnic Serbs had refused to cooperate – to assume office. A week earlier, in North Mitrovica, the transition was handled peacefully. Protesters had gathered in front of the municipal buildings. A civil disturbance took place in Zvečan, during which the protesters unsuccessfully tried to stop the police from escorting the mayor inside. Ten protesters were treated for light injuries and tear gas inhalation, while five police officers received minor injuries.[194][195] The flag of Serbia was removed from all four municipal buildings and replaced with the flag of Kosovo.[196][197] Serbia declared that its armed forces have raised the level of combat readiness and have been moved closer to the border.[198] Kosovar authorities' use of force to protect the mayors was condemned by the United States and the EU.[199][194]
On 29 May 2023, clashes erupted in northern Kosovo leading to injuries to 25 KFOR peacekeepers from Hungary and Italy. Up to 50 ethnic Serb protestors were also injured.[200]
June
On 13 June, Kosovo police entered Zvečan and arrested local Serb leader Milun Milenković – accusing him of organizing Serb protests – leading to riots which left three police officers injured.[201][202] The next day, Serbian police arrested three Kosovo police officers, claiming that they crossed into Central Serbia, Kosovo denied the allegation, instead accusing Serbian police of entering Kosovo and kidnapping the officers.[203][204] As a result, Kosovo announced a ban on the entry of vehicles with Serbian license plates and goods. Despite the ban, it was reported that Serbian vehicles were still being allowed to enter after going through tightened border controls, something which Kurti himself acknowledged in a press conference on 15 June.[205][206] On 26 June, Serbia released the three police officers and let them back into Kosovo.[207][208]
On 29 June, Kosovo declared two Serb groups – Northern Brigade and Civil Defense – terrorist organizations,[209] although the Serb List denied the existence of either.[210] The United States and the EU condemned the unilateral nature of Kosovo's decision.[211][212]
July
On 11 July, Kosovo announced a one-quarter reduction of special police forces in front of the Northern municipal buildings, as well as new mayoral elections in North Kosovo.[213][214]
On 31 July, the hospital in North Mitrovica announced that they are facing a shortage of food and medical supplies due to the closure of border crossings with Serbia, which was their main supplier, further warning that they could soon face a humanitarian disaster.[215][216]
On 24 September 2023, a group of about 30 armed Kosovo Serbs and Serbian militants ambushed Kosovo Police units in the village of Banjska, Zvečan, North Kosovo, resulting in one policeman being killed and two others wounded. The armed group then entered the Banjska Monastery where pilgrims from Novi Sad had been staying and barricaded themselves inside before Kosovo Special Forces entered and cleared the monastery. At least three of the armed men were killed and the Kosovar Police apprehended six others.[217][218][219]
October
Meetings in Brussels between Serbia and Kosovo in October made no progress with Kosovo claiming Serbia had not signed the February agreement nor the implementation plan whilst Serbia reiterated it could not agree to Kosovo independence nor Kosovo joining the UN.[220]
November
Kosovo authorities extend the period in which Kosovo Serbs can convert their Serbian licence plates into Kosovar ones without incurring import fees, leading to over 1,500 cars in north Kosovo switching to the use of Kosovar licence plates as of November 16.[221]
December
By 16 December, 4,200 of the roughly 10,000 cars in circulation in the north switched to using Kosovo licence plates, per Kosovo Police. The remaining ones were registered in Serbia and their licence plates are valid in Kosovo because they make reference to cities in Serbia, not Kosovo. Kosovo Police additionally announced that all cars with licence plates such as KM (Kosovska-Mitrovica) would be seized if seen on the streets.[222] In response, on 26 December Serbia announced that it was going to stop applying stickers to Kosovar licence plates and starting on 1 January 2024, RKS registration cars would be allowed to enter Serbia freely. According to them, this was done to facilitate border crossing for Kosovo Serbs who had switched to RKS plates.[223] In response, the Kosovo government decided to stop applying stickers to cars with Serbian licence plates, in effect leading to both sides recognizing each-other's licence plates.[224]
2024
February
On February 1, Kosovo forbade the use of the Serbian dinar as currency, requiring the ethnic-Serb minority in the north to adopt the Euro. The move was criticized by the U.S. and E.U. since the Serb minority relies on financial assistance and social benefit payments from the government of Serbia.[225] Kosovo PM Kurti later clarified that the currency was not banned but that the Euro would be the only legal currency for commercial transactions and that there would be a months-long transition period to ease in the new legislation.[226]
August
On August Kosovo PM Kurti announced that the Ibar Bridge would reopen connection the Serb-majority town of North Mitrovica with the Albanian-majority town of South Mitrovica.[227] The Government justified its action as in 2015 and 2016 both Serbia and the EU had agreed to begin the opening of the bridge.[228] The move was supported by the city assembly of North Mitrovica, however due to the assembly having no Serbian representatives as the local elections were boycotted the move was seen as illegitimate. The move was criticized by the EU for unilateral decisions and the risk violence thus threatening a nearby KFOR unit in the area threatening Kosovo with further sanctions,[229][230] by Serbia's Vučić for "installing new pupet politicians" by the Kosovan Government,[231] and by opposition leaders claiming it to be a populist play to secure votes for the upcoming elections.[232]Bedri Hamza, mayor of South Mitrovica and opposition candidate for Prime Minister, urged Kurti to work with International partners before opening the bridge.[233]
On November 26, two hand grenades were thrown in the courtyard of the police station in Zvečan, and on 29 November, a suspected hand grenade was launched at the city's municipal building; neither caused any injuries or deaths.[234][235] On the night of 29 November, an explosion in North Kosovo damaged infrastructure that supplied water to Kosovo's main power plants. Kosovo attributed what it described as a "terrorist attack" to Serbia and later arrested eight individuals in connection with the attack; Serbia denied any involvement and offered its full cooperation with the investigation.[236][237] Serbian officials claimed that the explosion was a false flag operation organized by Kosovo Albanians.[238]
The next day on 30 November Kosovar Police led a raid operation in 10 locations in and near Zubin Potok, which led to 2 Serbian individuals that were behind the attacks being arrested. Kosovar Police were also able to seize a large stash of weapons and explosives together with Yugoslav and Serbian military uniforms and badges. The operation was organized by Xhelal Sveçla and Gazmend Hoxha.[239][240]
Kosovar Prime minister Albin Kurti accused the Serbian government and the Serb list for organizing the attack. According to Kurti's accusation the perpetrators were Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić and Milan Radoičić who had previously led a group of 30 armed militants in an attack in Banjska.[241]Albin Kurti also compared the attack on the Ibër-Lepenc water canal with the Russian attacks in Donetsk and Luhansk, where they were trying to make Ukrainian soldiers enter both regions so that the Russians would have a justification to invade Ukraine.[242]
The Serbian government denied all of Albin Kurti's accusations and so did the Serb list claiming that they had no involvment in the attack.[243]
The Albanian government stated that it is ready to supply Kosovo with electricity,which it started to supply at the end of November.[244]
Reactions
In early August, Edi Rama, the prime minister of Albania, commented on the tensions that occurred on 31 July and stated that Kosovo should join the Open Balkan economic and political zone in order to avoid potential war;[245] this was later echoed by Hill.[246]Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman of the ministry of foreign affairs of Russia, accused Kosovo Albanians of escalating the conflict, while Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin press secretary, stated that Russia demands that "all rights of Serbs to be respected".[247] Later in December, Peskov said that "Russia supports Belgrade in the actions that are being taken".[248]Richard Grenell, the special presidential envoy for Serbia and Kosovo Peace Negotiations under the administration of Donald Trump, stated that he was disappointed with the progress of the negotiations.[249]
After the leak of the proposed agreement in late September 2022, Dušan Janjić from the Belgrade Forum for Ethnic Relations stated that the agreement is about "putting the dialogue exclusively on a political level", while Bodo Weber, a journalist and political analyst, stated that the agreement "might change the flow of the dialogue" but he also assessed that "Kosovo and Serbia are still far from a final agreement".[250]Milorad Dodik, the president of Republika Srpska, stated that the Republika Srpska, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is "ready to help the Serbian people in Kosovo, even beyond its capacity".[251] Later in January 2023, Dodik praised Vučić regarding his role in the crisis and stated that "Serbia should never recognize Kosovo".[252] Weber described the mass resignation of Kosovo Serbs from Kosovo institutions as "the crisis as a consequence of the de facto absence of negotiations".[253] Konrad Clewing, an expert for the Leibniz Institute for Eastern and Southeastern European Research, stated that the mass resignation could create "huge consequences".[254]
After the announcement that Serbia would consider deploying 1,000 Serbian military forces to Kosovo, Deutsche Welle stated that the request to deploy is possible according to Resolution 1244, although observers noted that the deployment would be "futile because it would lead to a direct confrontation with the international police and military units stationed in Kosovo".[255]Radio Free Europe stated that according to the Resolution 1244, Serbian personnel could return and perform certain functions in Kosovo, although these functions only include connection with the international civilian mission and international security presence, clearing minefields, maintaining a presence at Serbian cultural heritage sites and at main border crossings.[135] Analysts also stated that the request would most likely be declined.[135][256]Boris Tadić, former president of Serbia, criticized the government of Serbia and stated that Petković and Brnabić "misled the public", while Momir Stojanović, the former head of the Military Security Agency, said that the return of Serbian forces to Kosovo is "impossible".[257][258] Rama described it as a "surreal move".[259] Janjić stated that "it is not illegal to consider doing this" but that "in this case it is not desirable", while Ivo Visković, a diplomat and former professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences at the University of Belgrade, stated that "now is the time when diplomacy should work".[135][260] Additionally, the United States and Peter Stano, the spokesperson of the European Union, asked for de-escalation.[260][261]
In January 2023, politicians and political parties in Serbia voiced their reactions regarding the French-German proposal. Tadić claimed that the proposal would allow Kosovo to join the United Nations even if it is not explicitly mentioned in the proposal.[262] Narodna, Dveri, National Democratic Alternative, and Serbian Party Oathkeepers have called for the rejection of the proposal.[262][263] The Party of Freedom and Justice, Democratic Party, and Do not let Belgrade drown have called for Vučić to reveal the content of the proposal to the public.[264][265] In Kosovo, publicist Veton Surroi assessed that "these negotiations are the most serious since the Ahtisaari Plan", while Avdullah Hoti, the former prime minister of Kosovo, stated that "relations with the United States are of existential importance to Kosovo".[266][267]
In June 2023 the EU announced a number of "reversible" measures against Kosovo for its failure to restore peace and calm in North Kosovo.[268] Following the questionable role of the Serbian state in the September lethal attack by Serb gunmen, 12 countries have asked the EU to reverse the measures.[269]
On 7 September 2024, Kosovo shut two border crossings with Serbia after protesters blocked roads amid tensions over actions taken in Kosovo's Serb-majority north. Serbia, which does not acknowledge Kosovo's independence, alleges that Kosovo is violating the rights of ethnic Serbs.[270]
Albin Kurti is a Kosovar Albanian politician who has been serving as Prime Minister of Kosovo since 2021, having previously held the office from February to June 2020. He came to prominence in 1997 as the vice-president of the University of Pristina student union, and a main organizer of non-violent student demonstrations of 1997 and 1998. Kurti then worked in Adem Demaçi's office when the latter became the political representative of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). Kurti has been a member of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo since 2010 in three consecutive legislatures.
NorthKosovo ; also known as the Ibar Kolašin ; earlier Old Kolašin,, is a region in the northern part of Kosovo, generally understood as a group of four municipalities with ethnic Kosovo Serbs majority: North Mitrovica, Leposavić, Zvečan and Zubin Potok.
Miloš Vučević is a Serbian lawyer and politician serving as prime minister of Serbia since 2024. He is also the current president of the Serbian Progressive Party. He previously served as deputy prime minister of Serbia and minister of defence 2022 to 2024 and as mayor of Novi Sad from 2012 to 2022.
The Serb List is a Serb minority political party in Kosovo. It was the dominant Serb party in Kosovo politics, claiming all ten of Assembly seats reserved for the community, from 2014 until all its members resigned and withdrew in 2022. The party retains close links to the Government of Serbia, led by the Serbian Progressive Party and President Aleksandar Vučić.
The Belgrade–Mitrovica train incident happened on 14 January 2017, when a provocative Serbian train was prevented from entering Kosovo.
The Party of Freedom and Justice is a social democratic political party in Serbia. It is led by Dragan Đilas.
Parliamentary elections were held in Serbia on 17 December 2023 to elect members of the National Assembly. While they were initially scheduled to be held by 30 April 2026, Aleksandar Vučić, the president of Serbia, called a snap election in November 2023. In addition to the parliamentary elections, the Vojvodina provincial and local elections were held in 65 cities and municipalities, including the capital, Belgrade.
The Open Balkan is an economic and political zone of three member states in the Balkans, those being Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia. The zone has a total area of 131,935 km2 (50,940 sq mi) and an estimated total population of almost 12million located in Central and Southern Europe. The official languages are Albanian, Macedonian and Serbian. Its administrative centres are the cities of Belgrade, Skopje and Tirana. With the establishment of the zone, all three member states aim to increase trade and cooperation as well as improve bilateral relations.
Milan Radoičić is a Kosovo Serb businessman and politician. A former vice president of the Serb List, he has been involved in organized crime. Radoičić was the leader of an armed group that conducted an attack against Kosovo police in the village of Banjska in September 2023 which resulted in the deaths of three Serb militants and one Kosovo police officer. In September 2024, he was charged in absentia by Kosovar prosecutors, in an indictment that included 44 other people, with violation of the constitutional and legal order, terror activities, funding terrorism and money laundering in connection with the incident.
Jakov Milatović is a Montenegrin politician and economist who is the incumbent president of Montenegro, serving since May 2023. He previously served as the minister of economic development in the cabinet of Zdravko Krivokapić from 2020 to 2022, and as an economist at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in London and Podgorica. He was a co-founder and until 24 February 2024 the deputy leader of Europe Now!, a liberal and pro-European political party that is the largest single party in the Montenegrin parliament.
General elections were held in Serbia on 3 April 2022 to elect both the president of Serbia and members of the National Assembly. Initially, parliamentary elections were scheduled to be held in 2024; however, in October 2020 president Aleksandar Vučić said that snap parliamentary elections would be held in or before April 2022. In addition to the general elections, local elections were held simultaneously in 12 municipalities and 2 cities, including Belgrade, the capital of Serbia.
Nenad Rašić is a Kosovo Serb politician serving as the minister for communities and returns of Kosovo since 1 December 2022. Previously he served as the minister of labor and social welfare of Kosovo from 2008 to 2014 and as a member of the Assembly of Kosovo from 2014 to 2017.
Triggered by the Government of Kosovo's decision to reciprocally ban Serbian license plates, a series of protests by Serbs in North Kosovo—consisting mostly of blocking traffic near border crossings— began on 20 September 2021. The ban meant that individuals who owned vehicles with Serbian license plates in Kosovo would have had to switch for Kosovar license plates at a government vehicle registration center. The ban was intended to mirror a prohibition against Kosovar license plates that had been imposed by Serbia since 2008. The Government of Serbia does not recognise Kosovo's independence and considers the Kosovo–Serbia border to be temporary.
A constitutional referendum was held in Serbia on 16 January 2022, in which voters decided on changing the Constitution in the part related to the judiciary.
Srđan Vulović is a Kosovo Serb politician. He was a member of the National Assembly of Serbia from 1997 to 2001 and has served multiple terms as mayor of Zubin Potok. Vulović is a member of the Serb List (SL) political party.
Events in the year 2022 in Kosovo.
Events in the year 2022 in Serbia.
Local elections were held in four municipalities in the north of Kosovo on 23 April 2023. They were initially scheduled to be held in December 2022, but were subsequently postponed. The elections were held in the four Serb-majority municipalities of Leposavić, North Mitrovica, Zubin Potok and Zvečan, located in North Kosovo. The elections were boycotted by the biggest Serb political party in Kosovo, the Serb List, following its departure from Kosovan institutions and the resignation of their mayors in North Kosovo in November. Among the declared candidates, there were only two Serbs. Aleksandar Arsenijević, candidate for mayor of the North Mitrovica Municipality, withdrew his candidacy on 2 December. Only the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and Vetëvendosje (LVV) had mayoral candidates in all four municipalities. Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani had initially set 25 December as the polling date for the municipal assemblies of Zvečan and Leposavić in the north of Kosovo. On 20 April, candidate for mayor of the Leposavić Municipality Aleksandar Jablanović, leader of the Party of Kosovo Serbs (PKS), withdrew his candidature for running in the elections.
The Banjska attack was an armed assault carried out by Serb militants against the Kosovo Police which took place in the village of Banjska located in North Kosovo on 24 September 2023.
On 26 May 2023, Kosovo Police forcefully took control of the municipal buildings of four Serb majority regions in Northern Kosovo after a local election was held. Three days later on 29 May 2023, hundreds of Serbian protesters clashed with NATO peacekeeping troops after rally at city hall in the town of Zvečan in Northern Kosovo.
↑ Barlovac, Fatmir Aliu, Bojana (16 February 2012). "Northern Serbs Vote 'No' to Kosovo". Balkan Insight. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
↑ Emmott, Robin; Sekularac, Ivana; Lewis, Simon (30 September 2021). Baum, Bernadette; Jones, Gareth; Gregorio, David (eds.). "Kosovo, Serbia agree deal to end border tensions". Reuters. Archived from the original on 30 September 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
↑ Fićović, Maja; Cvetković, Sandra (5 October 2022). "Predstavnici Srba sa severa Kosova izlaze iz institucija"[Representatives of Serbs from the north of Kosovo are leaving the institutions]. Radio Slobodna Evropa (in Serbian). Archived from the original on 13 December 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
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Serb List 
PKS 
Serbia 
Republika Srpska 
Russia 
China [1] 
Hungary [2] [3] 
NATO 
European Union 
Kosovo 
Albania [4] 
Goran Rakić 
Angelo Michele Ristuccia 
Gazmend Hoxha 
Civilna Zaštita [5] 
EULEX 
Kosovo Special Forces 
11 wounded
