The US embassy in Pristina hit back at the Kosovo government this week, saying it does not support its decision to push for four Albanian-born mayors to be sworn in in so many Serb-majority areas.

Ambassador Jeffrey Hovenier told a press conference that the US had advised Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti not to push for appointments, but that he was “acting of his own free will.” He also stated that all visits by Kosovar officials to the US have been cancelled, and that Kosovo has been excluded from the intersectoral military exercise Defender of Europe 2023, and henceforth the US will “not enthusiastically promote” Kosovo’s demands for independence.

The turmoil that began over the swearing-in of four mayors has escalated into violent clashes in recent days, resulting in the deployment of a NATO peacekeeping contingent that has been active in the region for more than two decades (KFOR). Soldiers armed with shields and tear gas set up “cordons” around the town halls of three of the four cities, protecting them from protesters trying to take them over.

China and Russia on Thursday came to the defense of protesters in Serbia, citing NATO’s provocative intervention.

“We are against Kosovo’s unilateral actions,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said. “We support Serbia in its efforts to defend its independence and territorial integrity,” he added.

China is among the countries that have not recognized Kosovo’s independence and has been vocal in its criticism of NATO’s involvement in the region, especially after the 1999 bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade during Allied air operations in that country. “We urge NATO to show respect for the independence of the countries involved and do what is really necessary to bring peace to the region,” the Chinese official commented critically.

For its part, Russia has accused the West of attacking Serbia and called on the government of Kosovo, which it also does not recognize as an independent state, to annul the election results. “We call on the West to finally stop propaganda and stop blaming desperate Serbs for the events in Kosovo. These people are trying to defend their legal rights and their freedom in a peaceful way and without weapons,” the Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

“If the West is really interested in peace in the region, it can cancel the election results now. We need decisive steps towards de-escalation, not half-measures, as suggested by the United States. The number one goal is to create an autonomous community of Serbian municipalities,” he added. On Monday night, 30 NATO soldiers and more than 50 Serbian demonstrators were injured, some seriously burned by Molotov cocktails.

At the same time, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić called on the army to be on high alert. Also last night, Vučić met with diplomats from the so-called Quinta, a group of five NATO members (USA, Italy, France, Germany and the UK) who have focused their interest on the Western Balkans, and asked them to mediate the removal of four mayors. and later met separately with diplomats from China and Russia.

A little later, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the conflicts must be stopped immediately and called on the two governments involved to come to an agreement as soon as possible. He also said that another 700 Alliance soldiers would be sent to Kosovo.

The incidents injured 30 NATO soldiers and more than 50 Serb demonstrators.

Djokovic’s statements

Serbian superstar and world No. 3 Novak Djokovic spoke out from Paris, where he competes at Roland Garros, in statements that many have called controversial.

After defeating Alexander Kovacevic, he approached the camera that was watching him and wrote the message “Kosovo is Serbia, stop the violence” on its lens, and drew a heart next to it.

Asked about his move at the press conference that followed, Djokovic said: “It was the least I could do. As a public figure – no matter in what area – I feel the need to express my support. As the son of a man who grew up in Kosovo, I want to express my support for our people and all of Serbia,” he said, referring to his father, who was born in Zvecan, one of the four cities at the center of these daytime conflicts.

The Serbs of northern Kosovo have never accepted secession and still consider Belgrade their capital. In the April 23 municipal elections in the northern cities of Mitrovica, Zvecan, Leposavić and Zubin Potok boycotted the process, abstaining en masse. Their main demand is to create a Union of Serbian municipalities in the country, as stipulated by the 2013 Brussels Agreement, which Pristina violated.

Source: AFP, REUTERS, AP.