NATO ready to intervene in Kosovo

NATO is prepared to intervene "if stability in northern Kosovo is endangered. The military alliance acknowledges in a statement that "security in northern Kosovo is tense" and warns that the Kosovo Force (KFOR) is ready to act.

KFOR, the NATO-led peacekeeping force for Kosovo, was established in 1999 with the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1244, which came in response to the worsening humanitarian crisis in the area.

Tensions between Kosovo and Serbia are on the rise again following the implementation of a new regulation. It will force people entering Kosovo with Serbian identity cards to replace them with a temporary (Kosovar) document during their stay in the country. This Sunday, Serbs in northern Kosovo blocked two border crossings with Serbia to protest the new rule. Both countries have increased their military presence on the border.

The new regulation was to come into force this August 1, but Kosovo has announced that it will postpone it until September 1. NATO notes that KFOR is closely monitoring the situation and is ready to take all necessary measures.

Kosovo became unilaterally independent from Serbia in 2008. Its independence is recognized by 98 of the 193 members of the United Nations, including the United States.