The situation in four predominantly Serb municipalities in northern Kosovo is tense, with facilities of Serbian parallel institutions blocked by the Kosovo police. The police operation has been strongly condemned by the international community.

Kosovo police officers stationed themselves at the entrances of five buildings, belonging to Serbian institutions, on August 30. According to Kosovo-online, three armed officers from Kosovo's police special units, wearing body armour, remained on duty on August 31 following the previous night's raid on the premises of the Institute for Serbian language and culture and the traffic school in Leposavic. This building houses several other offices as well.

Nato-led peacekeeping force, KFOR, has also increased its presence on the main Ibar bridge, a key flashpoint that separates the Albanian and Serbian communities in Mitrovica.

In a visible show of force, alongside the Italian Carabinieri unit, members of the Czech contingent of KFOR have now been deployed to the bridge, forming a cordon in the middle.

The US embassy, the ambassadors of the UK and Germany, and the EU mission in Kosovo have all expressed strong disapproval of Pristina's actions.

US assistant secretary for European and Eurasian affairs, Jim O'Brien, urged Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti and his colleagues to consult and coordinate with the international community, calling for an end to uncoordinated actions that could harm their partnerships.

"The United States and our international partners have consistently asked the government of Kosovo to prioritize coordination with the international community and not to take unilateral action on issues on the agenda of the EU-facilitated dialogue," the US embassy said on August 30. 

The EU-led EULEX mission in Kosovo announced that it is closely monitoring the situation in the north of the country. 

Meanwhile, the EU office in Pristina expressed disappointment with Pristina's continued lack of coordination with international partners, warning that the actions of the Kosovo police jeopardise the fragile security situation in the region.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has also expressed serious concerns. During talks with the EU's special envoy for Serbia-Kosovo dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, Vucic called for a firm and clear response from the EU. He also called for concrete measures to prevent further escalations and to protect the Serbian population in Kosovo, Serbian broadcaster RTS reported on August 31.

Serbia's Foreign Minister Marko Djuric condemned the unilateral actions of Pristina, describing them as a threat to regional stability and calling for punitive measures.

Similarly, head of the Serbian office for Kosovo, Petar Petkovic, criticised the recent incursions by Kosovo police into Serbian institutions, describing them as a direct attack on the ongoing dialogue and the overall process of normalising relations.

"Kurti is becoming increasingly reckless, with his anti-Serb policies reaching a boiling point, particularly in the north," Petkovic told RTS.

He said that the emergency situation for the Serbs in Kosovo has persisted since Kurti took power and accused him of attempting to dismantle Serbian institutions in Kosovo.

Petković also suggested that the timing of the Kosovo police's actions was influenced by the recent visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to Belgrade, highlighting the increasing nervousness in Pristina over Serbia's strengthening position on the international stage.