Serbia Center (SRCE) leader Zdravko Ponoš has questioned Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić over whether his recent announcement about potentially changing the course of the Ibar River is connected to KFOR’s decision to reduce its permanent presence on the northern side of the main bridge in Mitrovicë e Veriut.
Ponoš raised the question after KFOR announced that, citing improved security conditions in Kosovo, it had begun a “gradual transition” of its permanent presence from the main bridge over the Ibar River connecting northern and southern Mitrovicë e Veriut.
In a post on X, Ponoš said control of the bridge was being taken over by the Kosovo Police and suggested that the development was a consequence of the policies pursued by Vučić.
“While you practice becoming Moses, deal with that sewage in Borča. That is your measure. Don’t rush toward the Ibar, even with lies. The Ibar will not stop flowing because you are trying to solve your own troubles,” Ponoš wrote.
His comments followed Vučić’s statement two days earlier that Serbia was considering changing the course of the Ibar River in response to what he described as the treatment of Kosovo Serbs by the authorities in Prishtina.
Vučić said the proposed intervention could affect the river from which a significant part of Kosovo receives water, without providing detailed information on how such a project could be carried out.
Ponoš’s remarks link the announcement to the latest security developments around the Mitrovicë e Veriut bridge, although there is no evidence presented that the two developments are directly connected.
KFOR said its decision to reduce its permanent presence on the bridge was based on an improvement in the overall security situation in Kosovo. The NATO-led mission has maintained a presence at the bridge for years because of its importance as a potential flashpoint between the predominantly Serb north and Albanian-majority south.
The move represents another step in KFOR’s gradual adjustment of its deployment as responsibility for security increasingly rests with Kosovo’s institutions.
Ponoš, a former Serbian army chief of staff and prominent opposition figure, has frequently criticized Vučić’s Kosovo policy, accusing the Serbian president of using increasingly confrontational rhetoric while failing to address the practical consequences of his policies.
The latest dispute comes amid renewed political tensions over northern Kosovo, where security arrangements, the role of KFOR and Kosovo Serb political representation remain highly sensitive issues between Belgrade and Prishtina.
