After hours of bilateral meetings with Kosovo PM Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, in Brussels on Thursday, EU High Representative Josep Borrell told the media that “we agreed on the need for new elections” in Serb majority municipalities in the north of Kosovo, describing it as “the core of the issue and the core of the solution”.

Borrell explained that Kurti and Vucic have “different approaches and different interpretations” of the situation, repeating the conditions both countries have to fulfill to de-escalate the situation. 

Referring to three Kosovo policemen currently in detention in Serbia, Borrell said he “stressed to President Vucic that the three Kosovo policemen held in Serbia need to be released immediately and unconditionally”. Kosovo authorities have claimed the three policemen were kidnapped by Serbian police forces inside of Kosovo territory on June 14.

Kurti tweeted on Friday that he “gave evidence on the abduction of the 3 policemen, held for over a week now—and discussed de-escalation, new elections, and full implementation of the Basic Agreement”.

Vucic on the other hand has said after his bilateral meeting with Borrell and EU envoy for Kosovo Serbia dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, that  he“understands their willingness to de-escalate the situation and to solve the problems through talks.”

Prior to the meetings on Thursday, June 22, Borrell wrote on Twitter that “we need immediate de-escalation and new elections in the north with participation of Kosovo Serbs. This is paramount for the region and EU”.

The EU and the US have called on Kosovo and Serbia to take action to de-escalate the situation in Kosovo’s Serb majority north, requesting for the newly elected mayors to work from alternative buildings.

Kurti told the media in a press conference on June 13 that he has proposed a five-step solution to de-escalate the situation. Kurti’s proposal includes: rule of law, withdrawal of violent groups from Kosovo, Kosovo police and KFOR to perform joint security evaluations every 15 days, coordination for new elections, and for Kosovo and Serbia to return to EU-mediated dialogue.

Nonetheless, EU spokesperson Peter Stano announced one day after this proposal that the EU  had introduced measures against Kosovo as PM Kurti “had failed to take decisive steps and actions to de-escalate”.. 

Tensions have been rising since May 26 when local Serbs started protesting in Serb majority municipalities of Zubin Potok, Zvecan, and Leposavic, in the north of Kosovo, against the newly elected mayors, who were elected on April 23. 

The protests reached a peak on May 29 when Serbian protesters clashed with KFOR, resulting in approximately 30 soldiers and 50 protesters being injured. During these protests, many journalists and their vehicles were also attacked.