Stoltenberg: NATO very focused on Kosovo capable, prepared and in a state of readiness

Commenting on the tense situation in the north following the establishment of barricades, Stoltenberg has said the situation is being monitored with great attention.

Our forces are capable and prepared, but also available. They're monitoring the situation very carefully. NATO and the EU co-operate very closely and my message to both sides is to refrain from further escalation and provocative rhetoric. I call on them to reduce tensions in Kosovo”, Stoltenberg has said in an interview for France24.

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has also addressed KFOR forces removing barricades located in the north. The prime minister has declared that barricades will be removed by Kosovo Police in co-operation with KFOR.

According to the Kosovo government, this situation will not be tolerated for long.

Stoltenberg has said that NATO has a history of successes in the Western Balkans, citing halting two wars -- in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Kosovo, writes Express newspaper.

“NATO is very focused on Kosovo, in the Western Balkans. We have a long history, helped stop two ethnic wars. Initially in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and later in Kosovo. Of course, we are still present there, KFOR forces number more than 4,000 soldiers and have a key role in stabilising the” situation, Stoltenberg said.

During the interview, talking about the war in Ukraine and the possibility of using nuclear weapons from Russia, Stoltenberg has said NATO has made it clear to President Vladimir Putin that such an act would have serious and dramatic consequences for Russia.

Putin's vocabulary, Stoltenberg, has deemed this risky.