Serbian military drill ramps up as relations with Kosovo deteriorate

Tensions in the Balkans have been rising since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with decades-old peacekeeping structures under intense pressure.

Transcript

00:00 Tension in the Western Balkans was already high before the Parliamentary Assembly of

00:05 the Council of Europe voted in favour of making Kosovo a member. Belgrade, which considers

00:11 Kosovo part of Serbia, has raised concerns about the rights of Serbian minorities in

00:16 the territory if it joins Europe's peak human rights body.

00:20 "To all those who are not good-intentioned towards Serbia, that Serbia is not a place

00:25 for you and no one will humiliate you. And their hand for everything they do, both around

00:30 the Council of Europe and around the United Nations, will last forever."

00:36 Political tension in the region has been escalating over the past two years, made worse by the

00:41 war in Ukraine. Serbia is in the final days of a major military drill close to the Kosovo

00:48 border. Pristina is also bolstering its forces.

00:52 "We are preparing a war against the Europeans, but also in the constant threats we have from

00:59 the Western world."

01:04 Security in Kosovo is provided by a NATO-led international peacekeeping force. Pristina

01:10 hosted its largest ever joint military exercise last year. Kosovo is adding to its arsenal

01:17 with drones from Turkey and Javelin anti-tank systems from the UK.

01:21 "Our relationship with the security forces throughout the region is an important relationship

01:25 that we want to develop and their capabilities should be contributing to security in the

01:31 region. The Javelin specifically we don't see as an offensive weapon, it's a defensive

01:36 tool."

01:37 Last year, Washington accused Belgrade of a military build-up on its border with Kosovo,

01:43 which Serbia's president called a "campaign of lies." Its latest military drill in Peste

01:49 is due to finish on Sunday. The country's president and other dignitaries are expected

01:54 to attend.

01:55 [SWOOSH]