US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo to reduce tensions. He said they were threatening hopes of joining Europe, against the backdrop of protests by Kosovo Serbs in the north of the country.
Serb demonstrators continued their opposition to the assumption of office by Albanian mayors in northern Kosovo, which recently saw clashes with the NATO peacekeeping force. Blinken warned of "unilateral actions" by any party after Serbia declared a state of alert in its military.