Kosovo Accuses Serbia of Armed Attack in the North of the Country and Demands Sanctions

Kosovo's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Donika Gervalla-Schwartz, referred to the armed attack on September 24, 2023, as an "open act of aggression by Serbia against the Republic of Kosovo."

Gervalla-Schwartz made this statement in a comment to The Guardian.

"Nothing can remain as it was," emphasized the Minister, adding that with each passing day, Kosovo's police uncover new evidence of Serbia's involvement in the armed attack.

Indeed, law enforcement agencies have identified several illegal weapon storage locations and military equipment in the northern part of Kosovo, on the border with Serbia.

Donika Gervalla-Schwartz referred to the armed attack in northern Kosovo as a "terrorist attack" and emphasized that this "escalation" poses a threat "not only to Kosovo but also to the entire region."

"The goal of this aggression was the occupation of the northern part of Kosovo and the imposition of division, which has been the goal Serbian officials have been continuously working on, openly and secretly, for many years. You see, while we were engaged in the so-called normalization dialogue in Brussels, Serbia was preparing to invade our country. It's only thanks to the professional and timely response of our police that the terrorist attack failed," stated Gervalla-Schwartz.

Now Kosovo demands the imposition of sanctions against Serbia and emphasizes the need for "clear actions from the EU and the West."

Earlier, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby reported that Serbia had initiated a "major military deployment" of advanced tanks and artillery along the Kosovo border, causing concern.

"We are closely monitoring the large Serbian military buildup along the border, which includes unprecedented placement of advanced Serbian artillery, tanks, and mechanized infantry units. We consider this a highly destabilizing development," said U.S. National Security Council Representative John Kirby.

Subsequently, during a conversation between Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, both sides agreed that "de-escalation of the conflict is needed."

At the same time, the United Kingdom announced that its troops would be further deployed in Kosovo as part of the peacekeeping mission of the North Atlantic Alliance, at the request of NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Christopher Cavoli.