SNAPSHOTS

For Serbia and Kosovo, Stalled EU Membership Bids Will Disincentivize Reconciliation

Sep 27, 2024 | 17:00 GMT

Authorities search a building in Mitrovica, northern Kosovo, on Sept. 29, 2023, after the killing of a police officer.
Authorities search a building in Mitrovica, northern Kosovo, on Sept. 29, 2023, after the killing of a police officer.

(STRINGER/AFP via Getty Images)

With the prospect of EU membership frozen for both countries, Serbia and Kosovo will be incentivized to escalate bilateral tensions in the coming months, which will increase the risk of security incidents in Kosovo, even if a full-on war remains highly unlikely. On Sept. 24, Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti demanded that Serbia's government hand over several Serbians who were allegedly involved in the killing of a Kosovar police officer a year ago. Kurti also accused Serbia of trying to annex parts of Kosovo and called on the international community to hold Serbia accountable for its aggressive behavior. Separately, in an interview with the Financial Times also published on Sept. 24, Kurti said that Kosovo will resist pressure from the international community to compromise with Serbia on the multiple issues that have fueled tensions between the two neighboring states....

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