Serbia warns Kosovo army formation could lead to conflict, seeks support from Russia, China

Belgrade is seeking support from Russia and China in its opposition to the announced formation of the army in Kosovo, warning it could lead to the conflict in the Balkans. Kosovo’s parliament will vote on December 14 on transforming the security forces into a regular army. Serbia has protested the move and threatened retaliatory measures against its former province which declared independence in 2008. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met separately with the Russian, Chinese and US ambassadors in Belgrade on Tuesday, saying that “continuous provocations” from Kosovo could leave Serbia with no choice but to “protect” the Serb minority, AP reported. During a meeting with Russian Ambassador Aleksandr Chepurin, Vucic asked him to inform Moscow “that someone seems to be intentionally pushing Serbia and the region toward a conflict.” They also discussed the Russian president’s upcoming visit to Serbia.