Serbia’s Vucic criticises KFOR commander over Ibar Bridge withdrawal

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has reacted against the KFOR commander who decided to open the main bridge over the Ibar River in Kosovska Mitrovica.

Speaking to journalists during a visit to the new emergency department building of the health centre in Kursumlija, the President announced that he would write a letter to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to request that the main bridge over the river not be opened.

This step follows the decision by the Kosovo Force (KFOR) to withdraw from the main bridge dividing North and South Mitrovica after approximately 27 years.

The current commander of the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) is Major General Ozkan Ulutas.

Italian Carabinieri removed their tents on the northern side of the bridge, marking the start of a gradual withdrawal of the permanent presence of NATO-led international troops.

In a statement to German broadcaster Deutsche Welle, KFOR said that after the completion of the process, it would maintain a visible and strong presence in North Mitrovica and throughout northern Kosovo, and would “continue to contribute to maintaining a safe and secure environment for all communities.”

No statement was made regarding whether the Kosovo Police would take over the security of the bridge.

The newspaper Srpske novine had previously reported that Brussels had confirmed the necessary conditions for opening the Ibar Bridge.

Now, for the first time, a concrete written step is coming from Serbia’s highest official, addressed directly to the head of the Alliance.

“I will send a letter to Rutte this evening. So what can we do? We will fight as much as we can,” Vucic said.

Placing the Ibar Bridge issue within the broader context of relations with Pristina and the West, the President claimed that this was an attempt to exert pressure on Belgrade.

The Serbian leader continued:

“They thought everything was going in their favour; first they broke up Yugoslavia, then Serbia and Montenegro; now they want to separate Kosovo, which Serbia does not and will not accept, and they think they can use this to pressure us.”

Asked by a reporter about growing concerns among Serbs in Kosovo regarding the conduct of Albanian Prime Minister Albin Kurti, Vucic asserted that Serbs were being “harassed with unfounded accusations” and were subsequently not even allowed to prove their innocence.

“This is an act of terror; it stems not only from Albin Kurti, but also from his backers in the West,” Vucic said.

The President cited the case of Nenad Raskovic as an example. According to his claim, media outlets had reported for a month that this individual had been beaten over a gambling debt.

Vucic said hundreds of reports had been published claiming Raskovic had a gambling debt and was beaten by Serbs, but they later admitted to filing lawsuits against two police officers.

The President maintains that the admission that an investigation had been launched against two police officers over their conduct toward Raskovic refutes earlier claims that the beating stemmed from a gambling debt.

He also sharply criticised the KFOR command on this matter:

“What liars, what scoundrels. And the situation of those who support them and open the Ibar Bridge is even worse. Everyone is playing dumb, even the KFOR commander is playing dumb. Tonight I will send a letter to Rutte.”

It remains unclear whether the Serbian president’s letter will affect the timeline for transferring control of the bridge from international troops to the Kosovo Police. According to the Pristina administration’s interior minister, this process has already begun.