German MP for the situation in northern Kosovo: Conflicts in the Balkans must be resolved by diplomacy

We have the right diplomats there, we have the EU there, and it will be our duty to sit at a common table on both sides in the conflict. ”

The weekend tensions at the border between Kosovo and Serbia were in order Wednesday afternoon on the agenda of the Defence Commission's extraordinary session in Germany's Federal Parliament.

Ukraine's “War has increased our sensitivity to other conflicts in the world. So our task in the Western Balkans is to take care of diplomatic means to achieve calm”, Strack Zimmermann told DW.

The German government had expressed concern about the situation in Kosovo since the beginning of the week. German Defence Minister Christine Lambricht said that in case KFOR needs to intervene to establish peace.

In June, the German Parliament extended the mandate of German participation to a year under KFOR forces. Currently, only 65 German soldiers are stationed in Kosovo, but in case of need, the contingent could reach up to 400.

Ukraine, Mali in line of day

The Commission's extraordinary meeting, although Bundestag is officially located in the parliamentary holiday period, had long been warned because of the situation in Ukraine. Strack-Zimmermann told DW of a more far-reaching commitment to Ukraine.

“Germany now needs to ask what Kiev is going to need in a few months: “is what we're doing today enough for what will come in the future? And that's why we called for a donor conference.” Strack-Zimmermann also requested the appointment of a co-ordinator for Ukraine to the Federal Chancellorate to find out what can be done in the long term.