Tensions on the border of Serbia and Kosovo: Belgrade pulls together armored vehicles
On September 20, tensions erupted on the border between Serbia and the breakaway Republic of Kosovo. The special forces of the Kosovar police occupied the Yarine and Brnjak checkpoints on the administrative line, concentrating there about 20 special vehicles, including 10 armored vehicles. In turn, Belgrade sent 10 armored vehicles of the 72nd brigade of its army to the border.
The aggravation of relations arose after Pristina introduced new rules for crossing the border, according to which cars from Serbia must change their license plates to temporary ones with the designation "Republic of Kosovo". One of the first to be stopped was an ambulance, in which Kosovo police forcibly changed license plates.
This angered local Serbs, who demanded the abolition of discriminatory rules. More than 400 vehicles blocked these crossings, after which the Serbs began to erect barricades. After that, the Kosovo police arrived there, who used tear gas against the Serbs and began to dismantle the barricades.
Srpska army turned to Kosovo. Preparing the borbene of readiness. Do not beat the sukoba, ali yes it is shown to the tooth and yes it is on the Ibar for sat times like it is not reasonable.
- Marko (@CuvarNasledja) September 20, 2021
Yes, for sat times we can not react to the Ibar and NATO. pic.twitter.com/Dx1FZPotmI
On the same day, after talks with the head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said in his emergency address to the nation that the situation in Kosovo is extremely difficult for local Serbs. He said he was “fed up” with hypocrisy towards Belgrade and accused Pristina of violating the 2013 Brussels Agreement.
Our patience has limits. It is high time to declare whether the Brussels Agreement is in force or not. Either you perform it, or you stop fooling us. We convene the National Security Council and arrange a meeting with representatives of the Quinta states (USA, UK, France, Germany, Italy). We will propose a number of measures that I hope we will not have to apply.
- pointed out Vucic.
Note that under the Brussels agreement, Pristina pledged to form the Union of Serbian Municipalities in the north of Kosovo. However, the Kosovo authorities are still refusing to comply with this point.
Despite this, in the evening of the same day, in the northern part of the town of Kosovska Mitrovica, the Serbs installed billboards with the inscription: “Welcome to the Union of Serbian Municipalities”.
On September 21, Serbian leader Vucic, after a meeting of the Serbian Security Council, informed the public that Belgrade demands from Pristina the immediate withdrawal of Kosovo special forces from the border checkpoint. Vucic stressed that he insists on the complete safety of the Serbs in Kosovo and the return of the situation to the state it was before the decision on license plates was taken. Only then will further negotiations in Brussels be possible.
After that, the media reported on the arrival of units of the 63rd Airborne Brigade of the Serbian Army and the military police at the border.
At the same time, stories from the aforementioned checkpoints began to appear on social networks, where local Serbs and the Kosovo special forces ROSU are located.
Ovi bi ran in front of the prvim spp tenk. Cada will bombard Pristina with directional lepsa and boљu. Until tada itself is peaceful and settled. pic.twitter.com/NV86uljPLA
- Marko (@CuvarNasledja) September 21, 2021
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