Tension brews anew between Kosovo, Serbia over car plates

PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Serbia says it has placed troops on the border with Kosovo on a heightened state of alert after a dispute over car license plates threatened to further escalate tensions between the two Balkan foes. Earlier Tuesday, Kosovo authorities warned members of the ethnic Serbian minority living in the former Serbian province to replace their vehicle registration plates with Kosovo ones, despite calls from the U.S. and the European Union to postpone the move. The EU has urged both countries to normalize ties if they want to join the 27-nation bloc. Brussels and Washington have stepped up mediation efforts, fearing uncertainties over the war in Ukraine and Serbia’s close ties with Russia could aggravate matters.