Rutte: NATO still waiting for accountability for 2023 incidents in Kosovo

NATO has repeatedly called on Belgrade to swiftly bring to justice those responsible for the attacks on KFOR peacekeepers in Zvecan and on Kosovo police officers in Banjska, which took place over two years ago.

“We are still waiting for accountability for what happened in 2023,” Rutte told a press conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels, ahead of Thursday’s meeting of NATO Defense Ministers.

He added that both the Alliance and he personally remain in close contact with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

Responding to reporters’ questions, Rutte said that there are not many new developments to report in the Western Balkans, but that NATO remains engaged in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina and is closely monitoring the situation across the entire region.

He reiterated that the Alliance is following the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and emphasized that “it will never accept a security vacuum” in that country.