UK Urged to Back Kosovo as Berlin Process Summit Nears
Campaigners say Serbia poses rising threat; London faces calls to harden stance as regional tensions persist.
A coalition of Kosovo advocates is urging the British government to take a harder line against Serbia and offer “strong and visible” support to Pristina when London hosts the Berlin Process leaders’ summit later this month1, warning that a series of violent incidents and an accelerating Serbian military build-up have left the region on edge.
In a petition circulated by the Future for Kosovo Initiative (UK)2, the group calls on Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government to publicly condemn Serbia’s “increasing authoritarianism” and “aggressive foreign policy,” demand prosecutions over a deadly armed clash in northern Kosovo in 2023, and condition Belgrade’s progress in Euro-Atlantic institutions.
The petition, seen by The Gunpowder Chronicles, also urges Britain to deepen military and economic ties with Kosovo by increasing the U.K. troop presence in the NATO-led KFOR mission, expanding joint exercises, and funding new educational and business exchange programs.
The campaign comes ahead of the Berlin Process Leaders’ Summit on Oct. 22 in London, a forum meant to bolster Western Balkans integration. For Britain, it is the first time in years it will convene regional leaders on its own soil.
“We need Britain to lead”
For advocates, the summit represents a test of Britain’s readiness to match rhetoric with action.
“Twenty-five years ago Britain helped prevent mass atrocities in Kosovo,” the petition states. “Today, it must act early and decisively to deter fresh instability.”
Professor Aidan Hehir, of the University of Westminster and a leading voice behind the petition, laid out three concrete steps he said London must announce at the summit.
“First, the U.K. must publicly condemn Serbia’s increasing authoritarianism and its aggressive foreign policy, especially its attempts to destabilise Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina,” he said. A second measure, he argued, is to demand that Serbia arrest those responsible for the September 2023 Banjska attack3 and press Belgrade to reveal the location of mass graves from the 1998–99 war.
“At the very least, the government of Serbia should be ordered to arrest Milan Radoicic,” he added, referring to the businessman and senior figure in the Belgrade-backed Serb List party who admitted involvement in the Banjska attack but remains at large.
Third, Hehir said, London must oppose Serbia’s accession to international organisations “until Serbia respects democratic principles domestically, refrains from stoking separatism amongst Serbs in neighbouring states, commits to recognising existing borders, ceases removing Albanians living in Serbia from the population register4, and dismantles the Serbian militia inside Kosovo.”
Beyond the punitive measures, Hehir and other signatories want Britain to reinforce Kosovo’s sovereignty. That includes pressing non-recognising states within NATO and the European Union to recognise Kosovo, expanding joint military exercises, facilitating greater NATO–Kosovo cooperation toward eventual membership, and funding entrepreneurs and students in Kosovo.
A string of flashpoints
Petitioners argue that the security environment has deteriorated sharply since spring 2023, citing a series of incidents5.
On May 29, 2023, NATO peacekeepers were injured in clashes with Serb protesters in northern Kosovo. Two weeks later, Serbian forces detained three Kosovo police officers, sparking a diplomatic standoff. In July, British MP Alicia Kearns claimed weapons were being smuggled into Orthodox monasteries in northern Kosovo; Serbian church officials denied it.
The most serious incident came on Sept. 24, 2023, when armed Serbs ambushed Kosovo police near the Banjska monastery. One police officer and three gunmen were killed. The EU’s top diplomat called it a “hideous attack,” while Serbia declared a day of mourning for the dead Serbs6. Radoicic, a close ally of President Aleksandar Vucic, later admitted organising the assault but remains free in Serbia.
The violence did not end there. On Nov. 29, 2024, Serbian militia launched what EU officials described as a “terrorist attack” against the Ibar-Lepenac water canal in northern Kosovo7. And just last week, Kosovo’s police director and interior minister accused Serbia of violating Kosovo’s airspace with drones. KFOR said it had not confirmed any breaches that compromised security but acknowledged it was monitoring the situation8.
Hehir said the escalation could be traced back to the Serbian Progressive Party’s rise to power in 2012. “The regime in Belgrade is intimately involved in organised crime; it is not just linked with it. It should be treated as a pariah and sanctioned accordingly,” he said.
Serbia’s response
Belgrade has consistently rejected accusations that it orchestrates violence in Kosovo. Officials argue that ethnic Serbs in the north face discrimination and that Serbia is being scapegoated. After the Banjska attack, Serbian prosecutors briefly detained Radoicic before releasing him. The government insists its judiciary is handling the matter.
Meanwhile, Serbia has stepped up defence spending, signing a multibillion-euro deal with France for Rafale fighter jets and deploying a Chinese-made FK-3 air defence system. Serbia also retains deep energy ties with Russia9.
“The message from Pristina is that Serbia’s balancing act between East and West is theatre, and that the security risks for KFOR and for Kosovo’s institutions are real,” said a European security official in Brussels, who was not authorised to speak publicly. “London will be under pressure to show resolve without closing the door to diplomacy.”
London’s dilemma
The U.K. has traditionally been one of Kosovo’s staunchest backers. It supported NATO’s 1999 intervention, recognised Kosovo’s independence in 2008, and reinforced its KFOR contingent after the Banjska attack. British officials have repeatedly called for accountability but have also urged both Belgrade and Pristina to de-escalate.
Still, diplomats acknowledge a central dilemma: how to promote minority participation in Kosovo’s Serb-majority municipalities while curbing the influence of actors tied to organised crime or paramilitary groups. Kosovo’s leadership has resisted EU pressure to grant Serb municipalities wide-ranging powers, fearing it would create a state within a state. Serbia insists on robust competencies.
“Neither side is likely to get everything it wants in London,” said a senior Western diplomat involved in summit preparations. “But there is scope for practical measures on policing, customs, and vote administration — that reduce friction on the ground.”
Looking ahead
For the petitioners, even modest summit outcomes could matter. A clearer British commitment to accountability for the Banjska attack, tighter border and drone monitoring, and a roadmap for Kosovo’s fuller participation in Euro-Atlantic forums short of NATO membership would mark progress. Anything less, they warn, risks emboldening spoilers.
Britain’s Foreign Office has not commented on the petition’s specific demands. But the Future for Kosovo Initiative says it will continue pressing.
“We have received no funding from the Kosovo government or its embassy,” the group said in a statement. “We have a good relationship with the Embassy of Kosovo in London, but they have not been involved in this initiative.”
As the summit nears, the region’s uneasy calm persists. Whether London can help turn it into a durable peace, advocates say, depends on how far Britain and its partners are willing to move from private admonitions to public conditions and on how both Belgrade and Pristina respond once the cameras move on.
The UK government will host a summit of Western Balkans countries in London on 22 October 2025 to promote regional cooperation and increase security and growth. — UK Gov.
The UK Must Support Kosovo at the Berlin Process Meeting — The FKI UK.
One Year After Banjska: The West’s Role in Serbia’s Balkan Escalation
One year after the Banjska attacks, Serbia’s aggression and Western appeasement continue to destabilise Kosovo, raising questions about regional security and international accountability. — The GPC Balkan Watch.
Serbia’s Precarious Path: Ethnic Albanians, Autocracy, and International Complicity
Serbia’s elections cast a stark light on ethnic Albanian disenfranchisement, revealing a troubling dance of autocracy and international complicity at a critical historical juncture. — THE FRONTLINER.
Chronology of Key Incidents Since 2023
May 29, 2023: Clashes in northern Kosovo left around 90 NATO peacekeepers injured after Serb protesters opposed the installation of Albanian mayors. NATO rushed 700 extra troops to reinforce KFOR.
June 14, 2023: Three Kosovo police officers were detained by Serbian forces inside Kosovo and taken across the border. They were released on June 26 after international pressure.
July 4, 2023: British MP Alicia Kearns alleged that weapons were being smuggled into Orthodox monasteries in northern Kosovo from Serbia. The Serbian Orthodox Church denied the claims.
Sept. 24, 2023: A heavily armed Serb militia ambushed Kosovo police near the Banjska monastery, killing one officer. Three gunmen were killed in return fire. EU officials called it a “hideous attack.” Milan Radoicic, a senior Serb politician and businessman close to President Vucic, later admitted involvement but remains in Serbia.
Nov. 29, 2024: Explosives damaged the Ibar-Lepenac canal in Zubin Potok, northern Kosovo. The European Union condemned the assault as a “terrorist attack.”
Sept. 26, 2025: Kosovo’s Police Director and acting Interior Minister reported airspace violations by drones suspected to have entered from Serbia. KFOR said it had not identified any breaches compromising security, though it was monitoring the situation closely.
Serbia observes national day of mourning after clashes in Kosovo
Serbia on Wednesday observed an official day of mourning as the country cancelled sporting events and lowered flags to half mast, with a minister calling the Serb gunmen killed in Kosovo over the weekend “martyrs”. — FRANCE24.
Critical Kosovo Water Canal Damaged in Late-Night Blast
A powerful explosion Friday damaged the Ibër-Lepenc canal, vital for drinking water and energy production, amid escalating tensions in northern Kosovo. — The GPC Balkan Watch.
Authorities reported the presence of Serbian drones in the north, KFOR reacts: We have not identified any violations that compromise security, we are monitoring the airspace — BalkanWeb.
Serbia After Banjska: Guns, Gas, and Russian Leverage
Two years after Banjska, Serbia is more militarised, energy-bound to Russia, and reliant on Moscow’s security, while Western responses remain declaratory, fragmented, and strategically hesitant. — The GPC Politics.