Serbian President Urges NATO to Keep KFOR on Kosovo Bridge Amid Security Fears

In an exclusive interview, President Aleksandar Vucic expressed fear that the withdrawal of NATO’s Kosovo Force from the Ibar Bridge could expose Serb and Christian communities in northern Kosovo to aggression. The bridge, which currently allows only pedestrians, marks the divide between the Albanian-dominant south of Mitrovica and the Serbian-dominant north, and Vucic warned that permitting vehicular traffic might intensify clashes.

NATO announced a gradual shift of its permanent presence on the bridge to the Kosovo Police while retaining a visible presence in the north, prompting Vucic to plead with Washington, NATO and EU leaders to halt the change. He urged that KFOR remain in charge to protect the vulnerable population. The statement arrives ahead of Serbia’s upcoming snap elections and a forthcoming Hague judgment on former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci’s alleged crimes against humanity. Regional officials, including NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and Kosovo’s caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti, have been cited in the broader diplomatic debate.