Kosovo warns of escalation – Swiss army does not expand its contingent. At least 13 dead in fire inferno in Spanish discos

Tensions between Kosovo and Serbia continue to rise. Belgrade provokes, denies – and continues to strive for EU membership.

In view of the increasing tensions between Kosovo and Serbia, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock warned against a further escalation of the conflict. “There should be no further escalation between Serbia and Kosovo.” The political process must continue.

“You are calling on Serbia to reduce its troops at the border,” the Green politician said on Sunday at a small Green party conference in Munich. The US also called on the Serbian leadership to de-escalate.

On Saturday, Kosovo’s leadership in Pristina again sounded the alarm: Serbia had advanced its army towards Kosovo – and even “from three different directions”, the country said in a press release.

On Friday, Serbia sent army and police to 48 forward bases along the border with Kosovo, on Serbian territory a few kilometers from the border. Serbia deployed anti-aircraft systems and heavy artillery. The advance serves “a possible military aggression against the Republic of Kosovo,” the report said.

Serbia denies the intention to carry out a military attack

Serbian President Aleksander Vucic denied any intention to launch a military attack on Kosovo in an interview with the Financial Times. Instead, he will order the withdrawal of Serbian troops, saying an escalation would be “counterproductive” for Belgrade’s EU aspirations. Serbia will not destroy its own years of efforts. “Serbia does not want war,” he told the newspaper. Accusations from the West are “a campaign of lies,” Vucic added in a video address on Instagram on Sunday.

The new tension was caused exactly a week ago by the attack by a thirty-man, heavily armed Serbian commando unit on Kosovo police officers in the town of Banjska near Mitrovica in northern Kosovo. Three Serb attackers and a Kosovo police officer were killed.

Kosovo’s top Serbian politician and businessman Milan Radoicic claimed responsibility for this attack. He claimed that he carried out the action on his own initiative and had not informed any official authorities in Serbia. The government in Pristina considers it impossible for Radoicic to do it alone.

On Saturday, Radoicic accepted an invitation from the Serbian Ministry of the Interior to discuss the events in Banjska. The Belgrade ministry said he appeared at the ministry accompanied by his lawyer, but “as a citizen” – that is, not as a criminal defendant. The Ministry of the Interior has announced that it will report these conversations to the highest public prosecutor’s office.

The Swiss army is not increasing the contingent

Despite the developments, Switzerland has no plans to increase the number of Swisscoy troops in Kosovo. However, the NATO peacekeeping force KFOR must be expanded.

There are no plans to expand the Swiss contingent due to recent events, the Swiss Army’s Competence Center for Promoting Peace in an International Framework (Swissint) said on Sunday in response to a request from the Keystone-SDA news agency. The safety of military personnel is the highest priority and also takes precedence over operational needs. At this time there are no signs that safety is not guaranteed.

As part of the multinational KFOR, Swisscoy members make several contributions to the main mission of this peacekeeping mission: maintaining a safe and stable environment and ensuring freedom of movement for all citizens and KFOR. The soldiers are deployed at various locations. The town of Banjska does not fall under Swiss jurisdiction, the report said.

Switzerland has been participating in the NATO-led KFOR since 1999. Swisscoy currently has a maximum number of 195 soldiers.

Kosovo, now inhabited almost exclusively by Albanians, seceded from Serbia in 1999 with NATO help and declared independence in 2008. (sda/dpa/cpf)