WASHINGTON: The United States on Saturday accused Serbia of aggravating tensions with the apprehension of three Kosovo policemen this week and demanded their immediate and unconditional release.
Washington Asks Serbia to Release Kosovo Policemen
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller asked Serbia “to immediately release the police officials detained on June 14.”
He said, “Their arrest and current detention on false charges has intensified an already tense situation,”.
Tensions between Pristina and Belgrade escalated following Serbia capturing three Kosovo police officials earlier this week, AFP reported.
Kosovo termed the detentions as abduction and, as a “security step,” blocked all Serbian trucks from entering its land.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic played down the arrest of the police personnel and accused Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti of “wanting to incite a conflict.”
The arrested policemen belonged to a border patrol unit and had gone missing after they reported an intrusion of masked and gunmen in the area.
On May 30, as many as thirty NATO-led peacekeepers were injured in clashes between the soldiers and Serb protesters. The clashes occurred when Serb protestors were holding protests against the recently-elected Albanian mayors.
Germany, France, and the US have asked both sides to de-escalate tensions in the region, while the US publicly criticized the Kosovo government’s decision to install the mayors.
The European Union (EU) called on Kurti and Vucic to meet in Brussels in upcoming week.
Albanian-majority Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008.
