Kosovo

Kosovo president dissolves parliament, calls snap election after failed presidential vote

Kosovo's President Vjosa Osmani on Friday dissolved parliament and called snap elections after lawmakers failed to elect a new head of state within a constitutional deadline. The parliament ‌had until…

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Kosovo’s Kurti wins snap election, signalling end of impasse

Acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti won a clear victory in Kosovo's second parliamentary election in 2025 with some 49.3% of the vote, results suggested on early Monday, with most of the…

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Kosovo accepts US request to host third-party deportees

Kosovo has accepted a request to receive migrants deported from the United States, with an initial plan to take in 50 deportees per year, the government said in a statement…

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Kosovo’s PM Kurti’s party won most seats in elections, lacking majority, needing coalition for government

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s leftwing party won most seats in the weekend parliamentary election but was left without a majority in the house, forcing it to look for an…

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Kosovo’s election tests Prime Minister Kurti’s party, amid economic challenges and tense Serbia relations

Kosovo goes to the polls Sunday in a parliamentary election expected to be a key test for Prime Minister Albin Kurti after his governing party won in a landslide four…

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Kosovo Serbs carry on using dinars as government allows transitional phase

Kosovo Serbs in the ethnically divided town of Mitrovica carried on using Serbian dinars this week after the government allowed a transitional phase before the currency is fully outlawed under…

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West urges Kosovo to reverse decision to ban Serbian dinar

PRISTINA, (Reuters) - Four European countries and the United States urged Kosovo to suspend a decision banning Kosovo's Serb minority from using the Serbian dinar, a move which could fuel…

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Kosovars celebrate joining Europe’s visa free Schengen zone

Hundreds of Kosovars rushed to Pristina airport to travel to EU countries on Monday after visas for Europe's open-borders Schengen zone were waived.Kosovo was the only country in the Western…

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Kosovo says gunmen from Serbia are planning more attacks

By Fatos Bytyci Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti said that armed men supported by Serbian security agencies were being trained to launch new attacks in his country after a September…

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Von der Leyen says Kosovo must grant more autonomy to Serbs if it wants EU funds

U Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reiterated on Monday (October 30) her demand for Kosovo to grant more autonomy to Serbs to have sanctions lifted by the bloc and access…

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France, Germany and Italy urge Serbia to ‘de facto’ recognise Kosovo

The leaders of France, Germany and Italy called on Serbia to "deliver on de-facto recognition" of Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008 but which Belgrade has continued to regard as…

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Romanian troops boost NATO’s peacekeeping mission in Kosovo

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO said that more than 130 troops from Romania had reinforced its Kosovo Force (KFOR) peacekeeping mission following the worst violence in northern Kosovo for years. The…

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Kosovo leader calls on Spain to join EU countries in measures against Serbia

GRANADA, Spain, Oct 5 (Reuters) - Kosovo's president on Thursday said she hoped Spain would join other European countries in adopting measures against Serbia for what she described as a…

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Kosovo says Serbia’s behaviour same as Russia’s before Ukraine invasion

BERLIN, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Serbia's troop deployment on Kosovo's border recalls Russia's behaviour towards Ukraine before its invasion, the Kosovar foreign minister said, urging the European Union to take…

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Kosovo demands Serbia withdraw troops from border

PRISTINA (Reuters) - Kosovo demanded that Serbia withdraw its troops from their common border, saying it was ready to protect its territorial integrity. Tensions between the two countries have been…

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Kosovo’s president blames Serbia for shootout, says Kosovo ‘under attack’

By Fatos Bytyci PRISTINA, (Reuters) - Kosovo's president Vjosa Osmani has accused Serbia and its president Aleksandar Vucic of being behind a shootout between armed men and Kosovar police in…

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Kosovo so awash with fake euro coins they are accepted as payment

By Fatos Bytyci PRISTINA, (Reuters) - At a cafe in Kosovo's capital Pristina, staff have given up checking whether the 2-euro coins people use to pay are genuine, as such…

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EU blames Kosovo over stalled normalisation pact with Serbia

BRUSSELS, (Reuters) - European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell blamed Kosovo this week for a failure to implement a deal with Serbia on normalising relations between the two former…

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Romania beat Kosovo in match suspended after Serbia chants

Romania beat Kosovo 2-0 in a Euro 2024 qualifier that was suspended on Tuesday for just under an hour after Romanian fans repeatedly shouted pro-Serbia chants. The game in Bucharest…

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NATO commander says Kosovo still ‘highly volatile’ after May clashes

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Kosovo remains "highly volatile" even though the security situation has calmed since a major outburst of violence in May, the commander of NATO-led troops in the Balkan…

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Bill Clinton tells Kosovo: stop ‘foolishness’ in Serb-majority north

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, largely credited for ending the Kosovo war more than two decades ago told Kosovo's government to stop its actions in the Serb majority north, where…

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No breakthrough as EU’s Borrell holds crisis talks with Kosovo, Serbia leaders

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell proposed steps to end weeks of violence in predominantly Serb areas of northern Kosovo to the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia on Thursday, but…

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NATO ready to act to save Kosovo’s peace, calls for de-escalation

NATO forces in Kosovo are ready to face any situation if acts of violence similar to recent encounters threaten the peace, the NATO commander in Pristina said late on Monday.Some 30 NATO peacekeeping soldiers defending…

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Kosovo PM presents plan to de-escalate tensions in the north

Kosovo's prime minister on Tuesday (June 12) presented a plan to defuse tensions in its Serb-majority north that would include fresh local elections and cuts in special police, bowing to…

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Kosovo must grant Serbs more autonomy to join EU and NATO, US envoy says

BELGRADE, June 7 (Reuters) - Kosovo must give greater autonomy to Serb-majority municipalities in the north of the country if it wants to move closer to joining NATO and the…

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NATO member Turkey to send troops to Kosovo amid unrest in the north

ISTANBUL, June 3 (Reuters) - Turkey plans to send commandos to Kosovo on Sunday and Monday in response to a NATO request to join the alliance's KFOR peacekeeping force following…

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Key facts on Kosovo, independent for 15 years from Serbia

(Reuters) - Kosovo marked the 15th anniversary of its declaration of independence from Serbia in February this year and in recent days saw a surge of violence. Here are key…

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Kosovo, Serbia presidents meet under EU pressure to defuse crisis

By Andrew Gray and John Irish BULBOACA, Moldova, (Reuters) - The presidents of Kosovo and Serbia held talks on Thursday on resolving a political crisis that has spiralled into violence,…

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EU condemns violence in Kosovo, will keep talking to all parties; NATO ready to deploy more troops

CHISINAU, June 1 (Reuters) - EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell repeated on Thursday that violence in Kosovo had to be condemned, adding he would continue to speak to the…

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Nato’s Stoltenberg: Russia cannot veto Ukraine’s NATO accession

OSLO, June 1 (Reuters) - All NATO allies agree that Ukraine will become a member of the alliance, NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday. "All allies agree that…

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Why Kosovo’s stand-off with Serbs goes on 15 years after statehood

(Reuters) - Fifteen years after Kosovo declared independence, 50,000 minority Serbs in the north bordering Serbia refuse to recognise state institutions, receive pay and benefits from Serbia's budget and pay…

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UPDATED: Kremlin: Russia backs Kosovo’s Serbs, their rights must be respected

MOSCOW, May 31 (Reuters) - Russia supports Kosovo's Serbian population and believes their legal rights and interests must be protected, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday. Peskov also told…

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NATO peacekeepers secure Kosovo town halls in standoff with Serb protesters

Serbs reject new ethnic Albanian mayors after vote boycott Kosovo police repel Serbs trying to break into town hall US rebukes Kosovo for imposing mayors in mainly Serb area LEPOSAVIC,…

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NATO urges Kosovo to de-escalate tension with Serbia

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO urged Kosovo to dial down tensions with Serbia, a day after its government forcibly accessed municipal buildings to install mayors in ethnic Serb areas in the…

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A look at past state leaders who faced international justice

THE HAGUE, April 3 (Reuters) - Former Kosovo president Hashim Thaci, considered a hero by compatriots for leading the 1998-99 insurgency against Serbian rule that led to independence, went on…

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UPDATED: Former Kosovo president Thaci pleads not guilty to war crimes

THE HAGUE, April 3 (Reuters) - Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci on Monday pleaded not guilty to 10 charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity as his trial opened…

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Serbia wants to normalise ties with Kosovo but will not sign any agreement

BELGRADE (Reuters) - Serbia wants normal relations with Kosovo but still won't sign any agreement with it, President Aleksandar Vucic said on Sunday, a day after he verbally agreed to…

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Serbia, Kosovo reach agreement to implement EU-backed deal normalising ties

OHRID, North Macedonia, (Reuters) - Kosovo and Serbia have reached an agreement on implementing a European Union-backed deal to normalise ties, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said late on…

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Thousands in Belgrade protest against Western-backed Serbia-Kosovo deal

BELGRADE, March 17 (Reuters) - Several thousand people gathered in Belgrade to protest against a Western-backed deal to normalise ties between Kosovo and Serbia, which they view as recognition of…

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Serbia, Kosovo deal possible this year

BELGRADE, March 16 (Reuters) - An agreement over the normalisation of ties between Serbia and Kosovo this year is "entirely" possible, a U.S. envoy said. Serbia President Aleksandar Vucic and…

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EU hopeful that Kosovo and Serbia will reach deal this month

PRISTINA (Reuters) - The European Union expects former wartime foes Kosovo and Serbia to reach a final deal next week on normalising relations after both endorsed a peace plan, the…

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Serbian nationalists march in protest against Kosovo talks

BELGRADE (Reuters) - Hundreds of Serb nationalists and Orthodox Christians marched in Belgrade on Sunday to protest against a Western plan aimed at mending ties between Serbia and its former…

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Serbia, Kosovo back normalising ties but need more talks -EU’s Borrell

The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo agreed on Monday to a Western-backed deal to normalise relations but more talks are needed on the implementation of the pact, European Union foreign policy…

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Kosovo celebrates independence with eye to reaching deal with Serbia

PRISTINA, Feb 17 (Reuters) - National flags waved in Pristina's streets on Friday as Kosovo celebrated 15 years of independence with an eye to reaching a normalisation deal with Serbia,…

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Serbia arrests three after nationalist calls for riots over Kosovo plan

BELGRADE, (Reuters) - Serbian police arrested three people in Belgrade after ultra-nationalist and pro-Russian activists threatened "more than" riots if Serbia accepts a Western-backed plan aimed at normalising relations with…

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Serb nationalists pledge riots if Belgrade tries to improve ties with Kosovo

BELGRADE, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Hundreds of hardline Serb nationalists and pro-Russia activists rallied in downtown Belgrade, threatening riots if Serbia accepts a Western-backed plan aimed at mending ties with…

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Stand-off with minority Serbs holds back Kosovo 15 years after independence

When in December Serbia put forces on highest combat alert in response to increasing violence in Kosovo between police and minority Serb protesters, a shareholder in Pristina's newest shopping mall…

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Kosovo increases police patrolling after recent tensions

Kosovo police have stepped up patrols by Rapid Response Units following ethnic tensions last December when local Serbs blocked roads to protest Pristina rule. The area is inhabited by some…

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Kosovo says ‘yes’ to EU’s peace deal with Serbia, with caveats – PM

PRISTINA (Reuters) - Kosovo's prime minister Albin Kurti said on Monday he accepted a proposed European Union plan aimed at normalising relations with Serbia despite concerns over Western demands to…

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NATO declines Serbia’s request to deploy its troops in Kosovo

BELGRADE, Jan 8 (Reuters) - NATO's mission in Kosovo, KFOR, has declined a Serbian government request to send up to 1,000 police and army personnel to Kosovo following a spate…

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Kosovo re-opens border crossings after Serbs remove roadblocks

PRISTINA (Reuters) - Kosovo opened two border crossings with Serbia in the volatile north on Friday, following three weeks of closure after Serbs set up roadblocks to protest against the…

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Serbia removes state of high alert for troops

BELGRADE, Dec 29 (Reuters) - Serbia on Thursday removed a state of high alert for its troops that it had introduced three days ago over tensions in Kosovo, news agency Tanjug reported,…

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Serbs in northern Kosovo to start removing barricades from Thursday

By Fatos Bytyci MITROVICA, Kosovo, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Kosovo Serbs who have been blocking roads in northern Kosovo for 19 days have agreed to start removing barricades from Thursday morning, bowing…

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UPDATE – US, EU, NATO urge restraint as Serbia-Kosovo border crossings close

Serbia put its army on highest alert on Monday Third major border crossing closed on Wednesday Serbs in northern Kosovo resist moves they see as anti-Serb Kosovo declared independence, with…

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Kremlin backs Serbia, denies Russia is stoking tensions in Kosovo

By Guy Faulconbridge MOSCOW, Dec 28 (Reuters) - The Kremlin on Wednesday said it supported Serbia's attempts to protect ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo but denied Pristina's accusation that Russia…

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Why ethnic tensions are flaring again in northern Kosovo?

PRISTINA (Reuters) - Protesting Serbs in the ethnically divided city of Mitrovica in northern Kosovo erected new barricades on Tuesday, hours after Serbia said it had put its army on…

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Kosovan minister says Serbia aims to destabilise the country

MITROVICA, Kosovo (Reuters) -Kosovan Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla on Tuesday said Serbia, under the influence of Russia, was aiming to destabilise Kosovo by supporting the Serb minority in the north…

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