German newspaper BILD: Serbia threatens Kosovo with war

On Sunday evening, Serbia put part of its army on alert.

The Cause of Tension: Since mid-September, Serbian visitors to the border with Kosovo have had to change their plates with temporary Kosovo license plates in order to go to Kosovo.

The government in Pristina imposed the regulation for the fact that Serbia does not recognise plates from Kosovo after declaring independence in 2008.

But Serbs refuse to change their plates. As a result, the Kosovo government sent a special police unit to the Jarinje and Brnjak border crossings a week ago to implement the license plates regulations.

Kosovo Serbs are blocking the two most important roads to Mitrovica, the largest city where the Serb minority is located in Kosovo.

Nothing to worry about, someone might think. But in Belgrade, which is heavily armed by Moscow, things are seen differently.

The Serbian Army has been moving tanks to the border with Kosovo for days, talking about a “provocation” from Kosovo, to which they say they will react.

In the evening, Serbian President Aleksandar Vuciq announced that his country would fight for its people”. “If we don't fight, we can't achieve anything”He said Vuchy.

That is why he called NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg personally and gave the military alliance an ultimatum Sunday evening to end “pugroming” against his fellow countrymen in Kosovo.

Vuciqi threatened: “We will wait 24 hours to see how NATO reacts if there is a position against Serbs. If the population continues against our people, Serbia will react and will not allow it. ”

Experts also see an active role of Russia in the conflict. The Kremlin does not recognise Kosovo as a state and continues to view it as part of Serbia. Russian expert Jacob Janda of the “European Security Policy Centre” in Prague told BILD that it should not be forgotten that “Serbia is a close ally of Russia. Not only militarily but also economically and by the common identity built”.

Janda warns: What we are currently seeing is an escalation against Kosovo, in which Serbia and President Vuciq are increasing their political shares. This would not be possible without Russia's diplomatic and military shield. Russia wants the Western Balkans destabilised, and I see the Kremlin sharing responsibility for the current tensions in Kosovo”.

NATO Adding to patrols

Peacekeeping Mission NATO, KFOR responded to threats from Serbia on Monday. <x) A spokesman for the Alliance for BILD said.

KFOR is monitoring “The situation in all of Kosovo closely and continues to focus on the daily implementation of its mandate stemming from UN Security Council Resolution 1244 in 1999 to ensure a safe environment and freedom of movement for all communities living in Kosovo”.

Sunday, Secretary General NATO, Jens Stoltenberg spoke with Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, for “the need for de-terity in northern Kosovo”.

Serbia deployed more military units on the border with Kosovo on Monday. Mine - resistant vehicles and armoured personnel carriers were positioned just three miles away from the Jarinje border crossing, as was able to confirm BILD.