Kosovo’s modern history has been dominated by the violent breakdown of relations between its ethnic Albanian majority and the Serbian-led government in Belgrade, culminating in a 1998 to 1999 war marked by mass displacement and allegations of ethnic cleansing. A NATO air campaign against Yugoslav forces eventually forced a withdrawal, after which the territory came under United Nations administration.
Kosovo unilaterally declared independence in 2008, a move recognized by many Western states but rejected by Serbia and a number of other countries, leaving its international status disputed to this day. Years of European Union-facilitated dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina have produced only partial normalization, with tensions over borders, minority Serb communities in the north, and mutual recognition still unresolved.