Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said today, May 30, that NATO's peacekeeping force in Kosovo (KFOR) has turned into a source of violence and escalation in the region, according to TASS news agency.
"The crisis situation in the towns of Zvecan, Zubin Potok and Leposavic, which could have been resolved through a calm compromise, is problematic for NATO's 'peacekeeping force' in Kosovo. They not only demonstrate a lack of professionalism, but also become a source of unnecessary violence and a factor of escalation," Zakharova said in a statement.
Earlier, the Italian Ministry of Defense announced that at least 30 NATO soldiers were injured in clashes with Serbs in Kosovo on May 29. CNN quoted the Italian Ministry of Defense as saying that 14 Italian soldiers from KFOR were injured when protesters threw petrol bombs containing nails, fireworks and stones at them. Hungarian and Moldovan soldiers were also among the injured KFOR members.
KFOR soldiers stand guard at a town office in Zvecan, Kosovo on May 30.
After the clash, NATO announced today that it was sending additional forces to Kosovo, according to AFP. "The deployment of additional NATO forces to Kosovo is a prudent measure to ensure that KFOR has the necessary capabilities to maintain security in accordance with our UN Security Council mandate," said Admiral Stuart B. Munsch, commander of the Allied Joint Force Command in Naples, Italy.
“I would like to commend KFOR for its swift, restrained and professional intervention to stop the unrest and save lives. The violence must end and all parties must stop their actions to undermine peace in all communities of Kosovo,” Mr. Munsch stressed.
The clashes occurred as KFOR soldiers set up security cordons around three town halls in the three towns on May 29. The move was aimed at preventing Serbs from protesting against Albanian mayors taking office in some Serb-majority areas of Kosovo after elections they boycotted, according to Reuters.
About 50,000 Serbs living in four municipalities in northern Kosovo, including Zvecan, Zubin Potok and Leposavic, abstained from the April 23 vote in protest that their demands for greater autonomy had not been met.
Serbs are demanding that Kosovo authorities remove ethnic Albanian mayors from city halls and allow Serbian-funded local authorities to resume their duties.
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