Recent days have seen another political flare-up in Eastern Europe—this time in Kosovo, where ethnic Serbs in the country’s north recently came to blows with NATO peacekeepers.
Serbia’s military has since been deployed near the border with Kosovo, while NATO has announced plans to reinforce its Kosovo peacekeeping force (KFOR).
In 2008, Kosovo—with U.S. backing—declared independence from Serbia, with which it shares a 236-mile-long border. Dozens of countries, however, including China and five EU member states, have never recognized the move.
Ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo also oppose the country’s independence and continue to look to Belgrade as the seat of authority….