Published: Less than 50 min ago
Updated: Less than 10 min ago
The United States is suspending Kosovo’s participation in military exercises as a first sanction against the country following its decision to appoint ethnic Albanian mayors in several municipalities.
The appointments have increased tensions with the country’s Serbian minority and led, among other things, to 30 soldiers from the NATO-led international peacekeeping force Kfor being injured in clashes with ethnic Serbs in the town of Zvecan.
The US ambassador in Pristina, Jeffrey Hovenier, says that Kosovo is excluded from the Defender 23 exercise in which some 20 countries participate and which continues until June.
– The exercise is over for Kosovo, says Hovenier to local media.
Ambassador Hovenier also threatened to withdraw US diplomatic support and stop advocating for international recognition of Kosovo.
The US led the NATO operation that forced Serbian forces out of Kosovo in 1999 and has since supported the Albanian-majority territory and its 2008 declaration of independence, which Serbia staunchly rejects.
Even US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is now criticizing Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti for his decision to appoint the ethnic Albanian mayors because it “forcefully and completely unnecessarily increased tensions”.
Blinken called on all parties involved to take immediate steps to reduce tensions while condemning the violence against the peacekeeping force.