ROGACA, Serbia — When Elena Koposova signed an open letter against Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, she didn’t expect a backlash in her newly adopted home state of Serbia. After all, Serbia is formally seeking to join the European Union while adopting all the democratic values that go along with the membership, she thought. Now, … Read more
BELGRADE, Serbia — Serbia on Sunday sent a protest note after Croatia’s foreign minister described President Aleksandar Vučić as a Russian “satellite” in the Balkans. It was the latest spat between the two neighbors, which have been at odds for most of the time since the bloody breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s. Croatian Foreign … Read more
BELGRADE, Serbia — A trial started Monday in Serbia for the parents of a teenager who is accused of killing 10 people and injuring six in a mass shooting at his school last May that left the Balkan nation in shock. The suspected shooter, 13-year-old Kosta Kecmanovic, has been held in a mental institution since … Read more
BELGRADE, Serbia — The United States has received Kosovo’s request to purchase Javelin anti-tank missiles, the U.S. ambassador to Serbia on Thursday told President Aleksandar Vučić, who expressed “deep disappointment.” The U.S. State Department said later Thursday that it approved the possible sale of the 246 missiles and related equipment to Kosovo for an estimated … Read more
BELGRADE, Serbia — Serbian police said Monday they detained at least 38 people who took part in a protest against reported widespread irregularities during a recent general ballot that declared the governing populists as winners of parliamentary and local elections. Opposition group Serbia Against Violence has been staging protests since the Dec. 17 elections, saying … Read more
BELGRADE, Serbia — Police in Serbia fired tear gas to prevent hundreds of opposition supporters from entering the capital’s city council building Sunday in protest of what election observers said were widespread vote irregularities during a general election last weekend. The country’s populist authorities have denied rigging the vote. President Aleksandar Vucic said Sunday that … Read more
BELGRADE, Serbia — An early official vote count of Serbia’s weekend election on Monday confirmed victory for the ruling populist party in a parliamentary vote in the Balkan country, but political tensions rose over reported irregularities in the capital, Belgrade. An opposition group said it was robbed of victory in the local election in Belgrade, … Read more
PRISTINA, Kosovo — The European Union’s envoy for the western Balkans began a surprise two-day visit to Kosovo on Monday to talk with its leaders on further steps in normalization talks with Serbia. Miroslav Lajcak met with Kosovar Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi, who is Kosovo’s main negotiator in the EU-facilitated talks with Serbia, from … Read more
NATO-led international peacekeeping force the Kosovo Force (KFOR) soldiers walk in the northern part of the ethnically divided city of Mitrovica, on September 28, 2023. Stringer | Afp | Getty Images Leon Hartwell, a non-resident senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), said escalating tensions between Serbia and Kosovo necessitated heightened vigilance, … Read more
BRUSSELS — The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo broke off talks on Thursday without signaling progress after European Union leaders weighed in to help them bridge their differences and start enacting an agreement they endorsed several months ago. Shortly after a series of meetings in Brussels ended on Thursday evening – some involving the leaders … Read more