Russia has expressed support for the Serbs after an armed incident over the weekend in Kosovo.
“The situation is really, really tense and potentially dangerous,” said Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitri Peskov on Monday, after an armed incident during the weekend in Kosovo fueled tensions between Pristina and Belgrade. “It is no secret that provocations targeting Serbs are organized very often,” he added, without giving further details.
A Kosovar police officer was killed on Sunday during a patrol in the north of the country, on the Serbian border, by attackers who then barricaded themselves in an Orthodox monastery. A shootout with Kosovar law enforcement followed and three members of the armed group were killed.
Support for Serbs
Kosovo blamed Serbia, while Belgrade blamed Pristina for the persecution of ethnic Serbs in the country, which Serbia considers one of its provinces. Moscow traditionally supports Serbia, particularly on the Kosovo issue, attempting to pose as protector of the Slavic and Orthodox populations. Russia considers that the independence of Kosovo, with Western support, illustrates the anti-Slavic character of the policy of the European and American chancelleries.
This article is originally published on .lematin.ch
