The Russian Foreign Ministry has denounced the authorities of the self-proclaimed republic of Kosovo for sending troops into Serb-majority part of the region to arrest four people there. The arrests were “a provocation by Pristina aimed at pushing Kosovar Serbs out,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that it is in line with “Pristina’s continued coarse towards ethnic cleansing.” Another example is this week’s decision to impose higher import taxes on Serbian goods, the ministry said.