Protests were held in the Serb-majority municipalities in northern Kosovo on June 19, following the arrest of another ethnic Serb suspected of being involved in an attack on journalists.

The demonstrations took place in Leposavic, where Uros Vukasinovic was arrested, as well as in North Mitrovica. Additionally, a protest walk from Mitrovica to Zvecan was organised to voice dissent, Serbian public broadcaster RTS reported.

Vukasinovic was ordered to be held for 48 hours by the police on charges related to the alleged attack on journalists, his defence attorney Nebojsa Vlajic confirmed.

In a separate case, the Pristina basic court issued a 30-day detention for Dalibor Spasic, who was arrested two days ago at the Jarinje administrative crossing. Spasic faces charges of assaulting journalists and engaging in hooliganism, and is currently detained in Podujevo.

In Leposavic, citizens gathered in front of the municipal building to protest peacefully against the arrests of Serbs from the northern region of Kosovo.

Participants held banners bearing messages written in Serbian and English, including "This is our country", "Stop Kurti's violence", "Don't beat our children", "Serbs want peace" and "Stop institutional violence". 

In the meantime, truck drivers with Serbian license plates, who have been stranded at the Jarinje crossing due to the Kosovo government's blockade of goods from Serbia, have taken further action by blocking major roads, Tanjug reported.

In a display of solidarity with non-Albanian communities in Kosovo and as a protest against the Pristina authorities' decision to prohibit the entry of trucks with Serbian license plates into Kosovo, around 30 truck drivers from Kursumlija orchestrated a blockade on the Nis-Pristina main road in the village of Rudare.

During a press conference in Berlin, Nato’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called for a de-escalation of the situation between Kosovo and Serbia. Tensions have been mounting between the two countries since the recent arrest of three Kosovo police officers by Serbian forces.

The situation in the northern part of Kosovo, predominantly inhabited by Serbs, has been tense since the end of May.

Stoltenberg emphasised Nato's commitment to its UN mandate in Kosovo. He stated that Nato-led KFOR mission will continue to take all necessary measures to ensure a safe environment and unhindered movement for all communities in Kosovo, Kosovan broadcaster RTK reported on June 19.

Neither the leaders in Kosovo nor those in Serbia appear willing to attend the crisis meeting called by the EU this week.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has stated that he will not meet with Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti in Brussels. However, he indicated that he may technically appear at that meeting.

On the other hand, Kosovo's PM Kurti has expressed his unwillingness to decide on his participation until he gains a better understanding of the situation regarding three Kosovan policemen detained by Serbia.

The European Union has called for the unconditional participation of both parties in the meeting led by EU's High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security Josep Borrell.

Since late May, tensions have been on the rise in northern Kosovo after new Albanian mayors, supported by the Kosovo Police, entered municipal buildings amid opposition from the local Serbs. These developments have further fueled the already delicate situation between the communities in the region.

As reported by RTK, the US envoy Gabriel Escobar and European envoy Miroslav Lajcak will engage in a public discussion regarding the resumption of the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue on June 20.