The Serbian government’s request for the return of Serbian military and police personnel to Kosovo, under United Nations Resolution 1244, was delivered to KFOR at the Merdare administrative border crossing between Serbia proper and Kosovo on Friday morning.

At its session on Thursday evening, the Serbian government decided to send KFOR a request for the return of up to 1,000 police and military personnel to return to Kosovo, Serbia’s state television RTS reported.

Serbian President, Aleksandar Vucic, told RTS on Thursday evening that the government made the decision “unanimously,” stressing that the return of Serbian forces would “ease tensions.” However, he also added that KFOR will “almost certainly” refuse Serbia’s request.

“I think it that would be important for the protection of the ethnic Serb population and the control of what they call border crossings, which are actually the Jarinje and Brnjak administrative crossings, and this would dramatically ease tensions and it would be a good decision. But we are almost certain that it will not be accepted based on what we have heard,” said Vucic.