The United States and European Union expressed concern over the tense situation in northern Kosovo on Wednesday and called for restraint from all sides.

A joint statement by State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel and Spokesperson of the EU High Representative, Nabila Massrali called all sides to show maximum restraint.

“We call on everyone to exercise maximum restraint, to take immediate action to unconditionally de-escalate the situation, and to refrain from provocations, threats, or intimidation,” it said. Washington and Brussels said they expect Kosovo and Serbia to return to fostering an environment conducive to reconciliation, regional stability, and cooperation for the benefit of their citizens and warned that all obligations stemming from the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue must be fully implemented without delay.

“We are working with President Vucic and Prime Minister Kurti to find a political solution in order to defuse the tensions and agree on the way forward in the interest of stability, safety and well-being of all local communities. We welcome the assurances of the leadership of Kosovo confirming that no lists of Kosovo Serb citizens to be arrested or prosecuted for peaceful protests/barricades exist. At the same time, rule of law must be respected, and any form of violence is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” the joint statement said.

It added that the US will support the EU through EULEX “which can closely monitor all investigations and subsequent proceedings to promote respect for human rights”. “This includes, in particular, fair trial guarantees, as well as protection and equal treatment for members of non-majority communities in Kosovo,” it said.