Ulutash: The security situation is fragile, with potential for new tensions in northern Kosovo

The commander of the NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, KFOR, Turkish Major General Ozkan Ulutaş, said that since October 2025, the security situation in Kosovo has been generally calm, but with the potential for new tensions.

“We have not seen a recurrence of violence, as we saw in 2023. However, the situation remains fragile, with the potential for new tensions, particularly in northern Kosovo,” he said during a meeting with ambassadors of NATO states and NATO-contributing partners in Brussels on April 29.

Tensions in the Serb-majority north of Kosovo in 2023 initially flared in May, when local Serbs opposed the start of work of the Albanian mayors of four municipalities in the north, who were elected after local Serbs boycotted the local elections.

Tensions peaked in September of that same year, when a group of armed Serbs attacked the Kosovo Police in Banjska, Zvecan, killing Sergeant Afrim Bunjaku.

Responsibility for the attack was claimed by Milan Radoicic, former vice-president of the Serbian List – the main Serb party that enjoys the support of Belgrade.

Kosovo blames Serbia for the attack, but Belgrade denies any involvement.

Earlier this year, NATO chief Mark Rutte said he was still waiting for Serbia to determine responsibility for Banjska.

During the meeting in Brussels, Ulutash also said that there is an "urgent need for a long-term political solution."

"NATO continues to fully support the European Union-mediated dialogue for the normalization of relations between Pristina and Belgrade. Ultimately, stability depends on all parties choosing diplomacy over violence. The path to lasting peace is political, not military. KFOR will continue to support this process," Ulutash said.

Kosovo and Serbia have been conducting dialogue, under EU mediation, since 2011.

A number of agreements have been reached over the years of dialogue, but many of them have not been implemented on the ground.

However, there has not been a high-level political meeting between Kosovo and Serbia since September 2023. The last meeting between Kurti and Vučić took place a few days before the armed attack in Banjska Zvečan, for which Kosovo blames Serbia, but Belgrade denies any involvement./REL