NATO commander in Kosovo calls situation ‘highly volatile’

The situation in Kosovo remains “highly volatile” even though tensions have been de-escalated, according to a NATO commander in the country.

In May, unrest rocked Serb-majority areas in the north of the territory, including a riot that injured more than 30 NATO peacekeepers during a clash with ethnic Serb protesters.

Italian Major General Angelo Michele Ristuccia, the commander of NATO’s Kosovo Force (KFOR), said tension between the two sides remained high due to political differences.

“The situation is calm after the events of the 29th of May. But, in a way, the situation is still highly volatile. We perceive the tension due to … the multitude of unsolved issues,” he told reporters at NATO headquarters in Brussels.

“If we have to deliver a diagnosis of what is happening, I would say that the most concerning sickness is mistrust – mistrust between parties,” he added.

Northern Kosovo has remained riven by divisions and periods of unrest since Pristina declared independence from Serbia in 2008.

Tensions skyrocketed after Kosovo’s leadership installed ethnic Albanian mayors in four Serb-majority municipalities.

Kosovo is overwhelmingly populated by ethnic Albanians, but in the northern stretches of the territory near the border with Serbia, ethnic Serbs remain the majority in several municipalities.

Belgrade and its key allies, China and Russia, have refused to recognize Kosovo’s independence.

KFOR is the country’s top security institution and bolstered its forces to 4,500 troops in the wake of the violent clashes in May.

The peacekeeping force has been stationed in Kosovo since the 1998-1999 war ended between ethnic Albanian separatist guerrillas and Serbian forces.

The EU — which has been conducting a yearslong push to normalize ties between Kosovo and Serbia — has invited leaders from the two sides for a new round of talks next week.

Ristuccia, who ends his one-year mandate in charge next month, said a “multitude of issues” need to be solved through the political dialogue.

“We are living in a time of constant crisis management,” he said.

“My concern is that even the most insignificant event can trigger the situation.”