The EU is threatening the two Western Balkan countries, Serbia and Kosovo, with punitive measures. Failure to de-escalate tensions will have "negative consequences," according to a statement released by foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.
At the end of May, militant Serbs attacked NATO peacekeepers with incendiary devices and stones during protests in the village of Zvecan. 30 Italian and Hungarian soldiers, as well as more than 50 Serbs, suffered injuries. The protests were ignited after the election of new mayors.