Kosovo Closes Serbian Bank Branches, Escalating Currency Dispute

EU criticizes Kosovo's decision to ban the Serbian dinar, impacting ethnic Serb minority and straining normalization talks.

Kosovo police shut six branches of a Serbia-licensed bank over the use of the Serbian dinar.
The ban on the dinar affects areas with a significant ethnic Serb population, requiring them to use the euro.
The EU and US pressured Kosovo to delay the ban due to concerns for the ethnic Serb minority.
Brussels and Washington urge Kosovo and Serbia to adhere to past agreements for normalization.
The EU warns that the refusal to compromise jeopardizes both countries' EU membership aspirations.