Rare! The United States and Europe make this demand on the Kosovo authorities. Kurti | Kosovo | Request
According to Reuters, the United States and the European Union demanded on June 7th that Kosovo make concessions in the tense standoff with Serbs in its northern region, otherwise it will face the consequences imposed by its long-term Western allies.
The report states that the US and EU envoys issued these warnings at the end of their visits to Kosovo and Serbia. This visit aims to alleviate the tense relationship that sparked last week's violent conflict, which resulted in dozens of NATO peacekeeping personnel and Serbian protesters being injured in northern Kosovo.
The report points out that the violent conflict occurred after the Kosovo authorities appointed Albanian mayors in multiple towns. The majority of Serbs in northern Kosovo boycotted the previous local elections, and these Albanian mayors were elected with a voter turnout of only 3.5%.
Gabriel Escobar, the US envoy to the Western Balkans, said that if Kosovo wants to increase its chances of joining NATO and the European Union, it must grant greater autonomy to towns dominated by Serbs.
According to reports, Escobar told Kosovo media before heading to Belgrade, "Actions taken or not taken may have consequences that could affect some relationships, and I don't want to go that far."
On June 2nd, NATO soldiers dressed in riot gear stood outside the municipal building in the northern town of Zvecan in Kosovo. Previously, they clashed with Serbian protesters who opposed the appointment of the Albanian mayor.
![Rare! The United States and Europe make this demand on the Kosovo authorities. Kurti | Kosovo | Request](https://a5qu.com/upload/images/3d3ee76cfcca481549fe9abc4fcee7b8.jpg)
According to reports, Escobar and EU envoy Miroslav Lechak did not provide a detailed explanation of the other consequences that Kosovo authorities may face if they do not comply with their demands.
Kosovo authorities leader Kurti told reporters on the 7th, "I believe these issues cannot be resolved through pressure, mentioning the consequences, or even sanctions."
On the 5th, Lechak said that the US and European envoys proposed to Kurti to ease the tension in northern Kosovo and stated that they had a "long, honest, and difficult discussion.".
According to reports, US and European envoys have called on Kurti to dismiss these mayors and withdraw the special police forces that helped them take office.
The US and European envoys also called for new local elections in the north to involve Serbs, and demanded that Kosovo implement an agreement reached in 2013 to establish a Serbian Autonomous Municipalities Alliance to give this group more autonomy.