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Kosovo could become a new battlefield in Europe. Photo/Reuters
The Ukrainian war is not over. However, the conflict between Kosovo and Serbia is heating up again. Many analysts predict that Kosovo will again become a new battlefield in Europe. Moreover, history has recorded that the conflict has an ethnic and historical background that can trigger a major war.
Countries in Europe were very worried that Kosovo and Serbia might lead to another war in Europe. For residents of Kosovo and Serbia, these intermittent upheavals are a regular occurrence and not necessarily the start of a return to the fighting and bloodshed that dominated the Balkans in the 1990s.
But with Russia’s full-scale war raging in the east in Ukraine, Europe is on the rocks. NATO and the EU are also closely linked in local peacekeeping efforts, giving the institutions another potential flashpoint as they already struggle to maintain unity towards Ukraine.
Here are 8 reasons why Kosovo could become a new battlefield in Europe because of tensions with Serbia.
1. The Crisis Continues to Worse
Photo/Reuters
“There is talk all over the world about another outbreak of war in Kosovo,” said Donika Emini, an expert on Kosovo-Serbia dynamics, reported by Politico. “This has never happened before. We have a much worse crisis and global audiences are barely paying attention to it.”
In addition, the Ukrainian war also caused its own worries. “Because of the war in Ukraine, everyone is on high alert,” said Emini.
2. Kosovo Suppresses Ethnic Serbs
Photo/Reuters
What is driving the latest conflict between Kosovo and Serbia?
The dispute, which has lasted at least in recent years, boils down to Kosovo’s desire to increase influence over the ethnic Serb majority concentrated in the north of the country. Serbia, a neighbor of Kosovo, does not recognize Kosovo’s independence and opposes the move.
Kosovo Serbs in particular are reacting to a new measure requiring them to use Kosovo-issued car license plates. Protesters blocked roads near the border. Barricades erected. Speculation was rife about rioters opening fire on Kosovo police – but it was later confirmed that there were no injuries.
3. Fight over the Lake
Gazivode or Lake Ujman is part of the ongoing dispute between the two countries. The lake was renamed Trump Lake in 2020 when the former US president became involved.
4. Europe Not Seriously Pushing for Negotiations
The root cause of the tensions is widely believed to be the continued deterioration of the EU-facilitated dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia. In fact, the dialogue was launched in 2011 precisely to address unresolved technical issues such as license plates or mutual recognition of university diplomas.
