Belgrade Urges NATO to Stop Pristina's Special Forces From Entering Northern Kosovo

BELGRADE (Sputnik) - NATO should prevent any attempt by Kosovo to deploy special police forces to the northern part of the self-declared republic or the Serbian people will take matters into their own hands, the head of Serbia's office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, said on Thursday.

Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti said previously that he will not further postpone implementation of the restrictions on entry from Serbia with Serbian-issued IDs and license plates, noting that nobody can prevent the special forces from entering the north of Kosovo.

"We have only one message for Kurti — NATO must stop any attempt of a ROSU [Regional Operational Support Unit] invasion into the north! If they don't do that, [then] this ROSU invasion will be stopped by the Serbian people," Petkovic said as quoted by his office.

The recent escalation between Serbia and Kosovo, which Belgrade sees as its breakaway region, was triggered when Pristina announced plans to introduce new border rules from August 1. The controversial move pushed Serbs to set up roadblocks. Kosovo authorities eventually decided to postpone implementing the new regulations until September 1, on the condition that the roadblocks are removed. Brussels urged the sides to negotiate further, but the talks fell through.