Tensions around Kosovo have flared up in recent weeks, after authorities announced plans to establish their own military forces. The move has been met with strong support from Washington, though it's being widely opposed by Serbia, Russia and China. CGTN's Aljosa Milenkovic has the story.

For years this improvised wall has stood in front of the Serbian parliament. It was put there by Serbs chased from breakaway Serbian province of Kosovo and Metohija, back in 1999. They fled after NATO troops entered that province at the end of a 78-day-long aerial campaign over Serbia that left thousands dead. Ever since Serbia and Kosovo have been trying to find common language, to no avail. The latest in a string of tensions was Pristina's announcement about creating their own armed forces. The response from Belgrade was swift.

ALEKSANDAR VULIN DEFENSE MINISTER OF REPUBLIC OF SERBIA "The Kosovo Army can't go to war with Albania, it is very unlikely that it'll attack North Macedonia, or Montenegro, which is recognizing and supporting Kosovo. The only purpose for using it is confrontation with Serbia and the ethnic cleansing of Serbs living in Kosovo and Metohija. This should be a problem with the entire international community, not just Serbia."

And it was not just Serbia that raised concerns about transformation of the current Kosovo Security Force into a full army. The NATO Secretary General issued a strong warning against the move after the NATO ministers meeting in Brussels.

JENS STOLTENBERG NATO SECRETARY GENERAL "We discussed Kosovo's intention to move ahead with the transformation of the Kosovo Security Force into an army. Such a move is ill-timed. It goes against the advice of many NATO allies, and may have serious repercussions for Kosovo's future Euro-Atlantic integration."

But NATO is not in unison on this issue, as was quickly shown by the new US Ambassador to Pristina, Phillip Kosnett. According to media reports, he said on the same day that "forming a Kosovo Army is a positive step". On the other side, Serbian officials, including the PM, do not exclude the possibility of Serbia using its military in a response to the forming of the Kosovo Army.

MILOVAN DRECUN HEAD OF SERBIAN PARLIAMENT COMMITTEE FOR KOSOVO AND METOHIJA "If the lives of Serbs in the North of Kosovo would be in danger and KFOR fails to react, fails to protect Serbian people, then there would be nothing else left for Serbia, but to protect its own people. It is not a threat nor our first option. It is our last resort and we don't want that to happen."

ALJOSA MILENKOVIC BELGRADE "On the eve of a new Kosovo Army being established, war drums appear to be growing louder in this part of the Balkans, again. Wounds from previous conflicts that ended over 19 years ago are still not healed, but yet there are credible fears of new ones are on the horizon. Aljosa Milenkovic, CGTN, Belgrade."