The border security forces of Serbia and Kosovo were placed in a state “full combat readiness”.

Bratislav Gasic (Serbian interior minister) gave the order. He stated that he was following President Aleksandar Vucic’s instructions to ensure that all measures were taken to protect Kosovo’s Serbian population.

The move was not received by Kosovo.

This comes after weeks of tension between the sides. Ethnic Serbs claim they have been harassed in Kosovo.

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NATO intervention in 1999 brought an end to the war in Kosovo.

Kosovo declared independence in 2008. Serbia denies this and repeatedly warns it that it will defend local Serbs with all means if they are attacked.

Last month, Kosovo’s ethnic Serb mayors and judges, as well as police officers, resigned over the decision of Kosovo’s government, to replace Serbian-issued car license plates with Pristina-issued ones.

This month, thousands of Kosovo Serbs protested calling on the Albanian majority government not to remove police from the north.

Local Serbs have built nine roadblocks in Kosovo’s northern region since 10/12/14, where approximately 50,000 people live.

There was an incident Sunday near NATO’s peacekeeping patrol in one northern town. NATO said that it is investigating the incident and has asked for calm.

The European Union tried to mediate between both sides, and Serbia, which was armed with Russian support, has now agreed to talk.