The spokesperson for the Kremlin, Dmitry Peskov, announced on Wednesday the support for the Serbian population in Kosovo, stating that Russia believes in the necessity of protecting their legal rights and interests. He emphasized that Moscow is closely monitoring the unrest in Kosovo, which has intensified since the installation of Albanian mayors in the predominantly Serbian northern part of the country following elections held last month.
Peskov mentioned during a daily press briefing: "We support Serbia and the Serbs unconditionally," noting that all legal rights and interests of the Serbs in Kosovo should be taken into account, adding that provocative actions should not be allowed.
NATO highlighted on Tuesday that it will send 700 additional troops to Kosovo, with another military battalion on standby if the Serbs continue to protest against the Albanian mayors. Currently, there are about 4,000 NATO soldiers in Kosovo.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has placed the army on full alert and ordered his units to move towards the border.
Serbs rejected participation in municipal elections in April, allowing Albanian candidates to win the mayorship in four predominantly Serbian municipalities with a turnout of just 3.5 percent.
Russia, which has close cultural and religious ties with Serbia, blamed Kosovo and Western countries on Saturday for the escalating tensions in the Balkans. Serbia and its ally Russia have not recognized Kosovo's independence. Moscow has opposed Kosovo's efforts to join the United Nations, while Belgrade still considers Kosovo to be part of its territory.
