US Senator Dick Durbin said that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s initiative to turn Camp Bondsteel into a permanent United States military base should be seriously considered.
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According to him, the Government of Kosovo has submitted a financial proposal to implement the idea which, Durbin said, would not require a major financial sacrifice.
Radio Free Europe has asked the Pentagon and the Government of Kosovo for further details about the proposal’s content, but has so far received no response.
In an interview with Kosovo’s Radio Television (RTK), Durbin said that during his meeting with Kurti on October 12 in Pristina, the prime minister had invited the senators to his office. There, he had shown them a map of Kosovo to explain the security risks in the regions surrounding the country.
“We want everyone to be safe and at peace, and I think KFOR’s presence here has done that job well,” the US senator said.
Located near Ferizaj, Bondsteel is the largest US military installation in the Balkans. Albin Kurti has repeatedly called for the camp to be granted the status of a permanent US base, viewing this as a guarantee for long-term peace, stability and security in the region.
At the end of September, Poland also proposed financial incentives to Washington for the establishment of a permanent US base. The offer included $15,000 a year for every US soldier stationed there, as well as funding for infrastructure costs.
Democratic Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Dick Durbin are in Kosovo, where during their visit to the Western Balkans they have met with President Justina Shiroka Pula, Prime Minister Albin Kurti and representatives of the Serb List.
Before arriving in Kosovo, they visited Sarajevo and Tirana, where they held talks on security, stability and the United States’ relations with the countries of the region.
Commenting on Kosovo’s new president, Durbin said that she faces an important challenge: uniting the country and advancing it.
“The process she went through before the final decision was made required determination and courage. She has a major task of uniting the country and moving it forward. But I think the strength she showed during this process will give her greater credibility in Kosovo and around the world,” he said.
Kosovo-US relations
Part of the interview was also devoted to bilateral relations between Kosovo and the United States. The discussion included the absence of a US ambassador in Pristina and the suspension of the Strategic Dialogue between the two countries.
Jeanne Shaheen said that restarting the Strategic Dialogue would be beneficial, but stressed that changes in the US administration and the State Department pose obstacles in this regard.
She said that the senators had pressured US authorities to appoint more ambassadors and ensure diplomatic representation on the ground.
On September 12, 2025, the United States suspended the Strategic Dialogue with Kosovo. Washington had expressed concern at the time about the actions of the then caretaker government toward Serbian institutions in Kosovo and its criticism of the Constitutional Court. According to the US, these developments had increased tensions and made cooperation on issues of common interest more difficult.
In July this year, the US State Department told RFE that the dialogue could resume only after suitable conditions had been created, including the implementation of Kosovo’s commitments toward Serbs.
During their visit to Kosovo, Shaheen and Durbin also met with representatives of the Serb List, the largest party representing Serbs in Kosovo. The meeting was held at the US Embassy in Pristina.
In a statement, the party said that its president, Zlatan Elek, and the head of its parliamentary group, Igor Simiq, had presented the senators with concerns related to the rights and security of Serbs in Kosovo.
Among the issues they raised were the failure to implement agreements reached in the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, particularly the establishment of the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities and the representation of Serbs in Kosovo’s institutions.
A day earlier, Albin Kurti had asked the senators, among other things, for support for Kosovo’s membership in NATO.
In the interview with RTK, both senators supported continued cooperation with Kosovo in the field of security and its path toward Euro-Atlantic structures.
Asked about the possibility of Kosovo joining NATO in the future, Shaheen said she hoped the country would move forward toward this objective.
Shaheen and Durbin described the relationship between Kosovo and the United States as a strong partnership that they aim to preserve and deepen further.
Specialist Chambers
Regarding the legal amendments approved by Kosovo’s Assembly concerning the Specialist Chambers in The Hague, the senators did not express direct positions on the amendments.
Shaheen said that the decision could be appealed and expressed hope that the procedures would continue peacefully, producing an outcome that would be clear to the people of Kosovo.
Durbin said caution should be exercised in statements about judicial matters. According to him, a solution should be sought through the procedures provided for by law and through a peaceful process.
On October 8, Kosovo’s Assembly approved amendments to the law on the Specialist Chambers. The European Union reacted with concern to the decision, linking it to Kosovo’s international obligations.
