US says Kosovo and Serbia must both take immediate steps to de-escalate tensions

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. State Department on Thursday said Kosovo and Serbia must both take immediate steps to de-escalate tensions, which includes the unconditional release of three Kosovo police officers detained by Serbia.

“We believe that Kosovo and Serbia must both take immediate steps to de-escalate tensions,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters.

The detention of the police officers on Wednesday night is the latest in a series of developments that have raised tensions between Kosovo and Serbia, sparking fears of renewed violence between the former wartime foes.

(Reporting by Simon Lewis, Rami Ayyub and Daphne Psaledakis; editing by Diane Craft)