OREANDA-NEWS. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the new exacerbation between Serbia and Kosovo is “the result of connivance of both the European Union and NATO” with respect to Kosovo, the Russian media reported. “Who benefits from such provocations?” It is advantageous to arrange such provocations to those who want to create a sanitary cordon in relation to the Russian Federation because of the Balkans. For this, it's necessary to draw all countries of the region into NATO”, said the Foreign Minister at a press conference following the talks in Slovenia.

According to Lavrov, Serbia is trying to get accept the fact that the decision on the independence of Kosovo "must be formalized". “More specifically, what is happening is the result of connivance from both the European Union and NATO regarding the categorical unwillingness of the authorities in Pristina to fulfill what is required of them in accordance with the UN Security Council resolution and in accordance with the obligations agreed between Belgrade and Pristina with the mediation of the European Union, in particular in the creation of Serbian municipalities in Kosovo. The absence of any progress shows the confrontational line of the authorities in Pristina, and I apologize if someone doesn't like it, the helplessness of the European Union”, Lavrov added.

The situation between Serbia and Kosovo (Russia doesn't recognize the independence of the territory) aggravated the day before. The Kosovo authorities said they were conducting police raids in the north. Reports began to appear about the arrest of Serbs living there. Serbia then led the troops into full combat readiness. As part of the raids in Kosovo, a Russian was detained - Mikhail Krasnoshchekov, a member of the UN mission. The head of Kosovo, Hashim Taci, said that he was trying to prevent the raid. A few hours later, the Russians were released, the UN mission said. They noted that their employee was injured and was sent to the hospital.