Serbia Softens Threats Over Kosovo

After earlier threatening to sever ties with countries recognizing an independent Kosovo, Serbia softened somewhat today in announcing it would merely pulls its ambassadors in those nations, the Guardian reports. Kosovo is likely to make official its break from Serbia—a move that worries the province's ethnic Serbs—on Sunday, and diplomatic recognition from EU states and the US would soon follow.

"No citizen will be discriminated upon or feel left aside," said Kosovo's prime minister in creating an office to ease fears of Serb minorities. Both sides are looking to ease tensions and avoid violence as Sunday’s declaration looms, but Kosovar Serbs said they would hold protests on Monday. "The monster state will never be imposed and grow here," one said. (More Kosovo stories.)