Vucic Warns Of Possible Escalation If Kosovo Security Forces Deployed To Regions North

The deployment of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) in the region's predominantly Serb north will lead to an escalation and undermine all prior agreements between Belgrade and Pristina, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Sunday.

Earlier this week, the government of the self-proclaimed republic of Kosovo approved its defense strategy, which says that the armed KSF will be operating throughout the breakaway region. However, Kosovo's special police units cannot enter Serb-populated municipalities in the north without a special permission, while deploying the KSF requires approval of the NATO-led peacekeeping mission Kosovo Force (KFOR), according to prior EU-brokered agreements between Belgrade and Pristina.