US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken condemned the position of his government today Kosovo for forcibly gaining access to four city halls and calling on Prime Minister Albin Kurti to change course.

Blinken said in a statement that Kosovo’s actions ran counter to the advice of US and European partners and “drastically and unnecessarily escalated tensions, undermining our efforts to normalize relations” between Pristina and Belgrade. These developments “will have implications for our bilateral relationship with Kosovo,” he added.

On April 23, municipal elections were held in the cities of North Mitrovica, Zvecan, Leposavić and Zubin Potok, boycotted by the Serb majority, and ethnic Albanians were elected as mayors. The results of the elections were not recognized by the representatives of the Serbian community. Serbs are calling for elections to be held after the Union of Serbian Municipalities is established for the first time, a commitment that Pristina made in 2013 under the Brussels Agreement but refuses to honor.

It is worth noting that today about 10,000 Serbs from Kosovo were sent by bus to Belgrade to participate in a rally in support of Aleksandar Vučić, organized by the ruling Serbian Progressive Party.

Due to the absence of thousands of Serbs from north Kosovo, political analysts estimate that the government in Pristina today decided to impose the election results on the so-called Serbian municipalities.

It is noted that on April 23, municipal elections were held in these cities, which Serbs, who constitute the majority of the population, boycotted and elected ethnic Albanian mayors.

The result of the elections was not recognized by the representatives of the Serbian community. Serbs are calling for elections to be held after the Union of Serbian Municipalities is established for the first time, a commitment that Pristina made in 2013 under the Brussels Agreement but refuses to honor.

According to Reuters, APE-MPE