WHAT’S BEHIND THE ESCALATION IN KOSOVO? A DEBRIEF WITH JOVANA RADOSAVLJEVIC AND AGON MALIQI - Violent protests in the north of Kosovo have escalated the situation, leaving 50 KFOR troops wounded when newly elected Albanian mayors entered the municipality buildings in areas with a Serbian majority, protected by an increased presence of Kosovo police. NATO has deployed 700 additional troops to ensure territorial security.

The decision of Kosovo's Prime Minister to deploy the new mayors in the municipality buildings in the north has led to growing international frustration, causing the Pristina government to alienate strategic allies, including the United States and key members of the European Union. The United States has urged Kosovo's PM to de-escalate the situation by withdrawing the police and relocating the mayors to alternative buildings.

Nonresident Senior Fellow Ilva Tare speaks to Jovana Radosavljevic, a Kosovo Serb who resides in the north of Kosovo and the Executive Director of the New Social Initiative, and to Agon Maliqi, an analyst from Kosovo.

What steps should be taken to calm the situation and restore the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia? Why are the Kosovo Serbs protesting, and will the establishment of the Association of the Serbs Majority or new elections offer a possible compromise? What potential implications for Kosovo government and its Euro-Atlantic aspiration after the latest stances from the strategic allies?

ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 06/01/2023