Serbia pulls some troops back from Kosovo border after warning from US | Serbia
Serbia has pulled some of its troops back from the Kosovo border after US warnings that it could face punitive measures for what the White House called an “unprecedented” buildup of Serbian troops and armour. The Serbian president, Aleksandar Vučić, announced he had ordered troops to be pulled back. In a statement to the Financial Times, he said any military action would be counterproductive, adding: “Serbia does not want war”. A Kosovan government official confirmed a partial Serbian withdrawal on Saturday, with the removal of troops and equipment that had been moved into positions around the border in the past five days, leaving behind a still significant force that is permanently based in the area. The withdrawal followed a public declaration of concern by the White House, a stern call to Vučić from the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, and the reinforcement of the Nato peacekeeping force in Kosovo, Kfor, with hundreds of British troops. In his conversation with Vučić, Blinken called for “immediate de-escalation” and a return to his previous agreement to normalise …