European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen. Source: EPA-EFE

Clashes between ethnic Serbian protesters and NATO peacekeepers in northern Kosovo Tuesday wounded at least 30 peacekeepers and 52 Serbs.

Speaking during the Global Security Forum (GLOBSEC) in Bratislava, Slovakia, on Wednesday, Ursula Von der Leyen called on all sides to stop confrontation to restore calm and announce a new growth plan for the Western Balkans, which she said would "bring some of the benefits of EU membership to the people of the Western Balkans today".

The EC leader also spoke of the "immediate need" of further military assistance to Ukraine, saying that the new Ammunition Production Act had just been proposed.