Kosovo is entering a new phase in terms of the international military presence, as the reduction of KFOR is being presented as a reflection of the current situation on the ground.
Officials say the decisions were made carefully and are based on ongoing security assessments, but at a time when global balances are shifting, such moves also take on broader meanings.
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On June 12, NATO announced that over the coming year it will gradually adjust its presence in Kosovo, linking the move to its assessment that the security situation in the country is stable.
The Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Alexus G. Grynkewich, said this step is connected to the strengthening of the capacities of local security institutions, which has created room for scaling down the KFOR mission.
The alliance underlined that these changes will be implemented carefully, in line with developments on the ground, and may be reversed if circumstances require it.
Asked by Radio Free Europe about the specific indicators that influenced this decision, a NATO official did not provide details, citing the confidential nature of operational and intelligence matters, but stressed that the situation is being continuously monitored through various means so that the mission remains appropriate and effective.
According to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, this is a positive development.
“When we look at the security situation in Kosovo, we see that, overall, it has continued to improve over the past year. Therefore, this is good news for Kosovo. This is also why NATO in January stopped deploying reserve forces to Kosovo, after two years of continuous rotation,” Rutte said at a press conference this week.
Kosovo’s acting Defense Minister, Ejup Maqedonci, links this NATO assessment to the extension of law and order across the country’s entire territory, describing it as one of the key factors.
Over the past two to three years, the Kosovo authorities have shut down most of the institutions operating within Serbia’s system, expanding state control across the country.
At the same time, in northern Kosovo — where a large part of the Serb population still does not recognize Pristina’s institutions — the authorities have taken over the administration of several facilities, which were later used for Albanian businesses.
Maqedonci sees this as a strengthening of institutional control.
“Kosovo has seen improvements in terms of security, especially after the expulsion of terrorist and criminal groups, which had operated for many years in the north of the country and which have always been a threat to security and internal stability, but also more broadly,” he says in an interview with Radio Free Europe’s Expose program.
Since the end of the war in 1999, northern Kosovo has remained an area of constant tension, with parallel structures, barricades and repeated clashes between local residents and law enforcement forces.
One of the most serious episodes was recorded in May 2023, when dozens of KFOR soldiers were injured during clashes with Serb protesters opposing the installation of Albanian mayors in four northern municipalities.
It was precisely this situation that led to the deployment of additional reinforcements by NATO.
Today, KFOR numbers more than 4,600 troops and, according to Rutte, is expected to fall to around 3,500, although it is still not known which contingents will be affected by this process.
Radio Free Europe sought clarification from Italy, the United States and Hungary, the three countries making the largest contribution to the mission, but received a response only from the US European Command, which indicated that the American contribution will be adjusted in line with NATO’s plan.
“The US European Command will make an adjustment to the American contribution to KFOR — in phases and based on risk assessment — in accordance with the review led by the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe,” an official from that command told Radio Free Europe.
The US role in KFOR is seen as essential because it gives the mission political weight, additional military capabilities and a strong deterrent effect.
Former US ambassador to NATO Douglas Lute, who commanded Multinational Brigade East in Kosovo in 2002, believes the decision by the US European Command stems from a careful analysis of the situation on the ground and should not be interpreted as a sign of withdrawal.
According to him, KFOR remains a deeply multinational mission, where the balance between American contributions and those of European allies remains decisive for its functioning.
“The US has always been — as NATO itself says — one of the framework nations in KFOR. From the start, it has provided capabilities that others cannot offer, such as high-level medical services and helicopter air mobility capabilities. Therefore, the American contribution to KFOR is important, but it is not the only one, nor is it dominant,” Lute says in Expose.
At present, the US has around 590 soldiers deployed as part of KFOR, significantly fewer than the more than 5,000 troops stationed in 1999, when the mission was established after the end of the war.
Discussion of a possible review of this presence had already begun at the start of last year, when US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, during a visit to Warsaw, warned that the American military presence in Europe could be reviewed and possibly reduced, depending on strategic priorities and global threats.
At the beginning of May, the Pentagon announced the withdrawal of 5,000 American troops from Germany within the next 6 to 12 months, while US President Donald Trump did not rule out the possibility of reductions in Spain and Italy as well.
For Maqedonci, the Kosovo Police and the Kosovo Security Force are well prepared to guarantee security and protect every part of the country’s territory.
However, he underlines that the American presence in KFOR continues to be vital for peace and security.
“In addition to KFOR, it should be emphasized that the Kosovo Security Force and the Ministry of Defense have very close cooperation with the US. There is a considerable American presence within our units, activities and daily work, but the presence in KFOR remains indispensable,” he says.
In this context, the debate over reducing KFOR cannot be separated from an earlier political restriction that continues to define the KSF’s role in the north.
This restriction stems from a 2013 commitment, formalized at the time by Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi in a letter addressed to NATO, according to which the deployment of the KSF in the north can take place only with KFOR’s prior consent.
The question raised is how the announced reduction in KFOR’s presence might affect this reality.
Maqedonci believes this commitment should not have been made, arguing that under Kosovo’s Constitution and laws, the KSF has a mandate to operate throughout the country’s entire territory. According to him, this issue should be discussed with NATO.
“For us, it is important that every part of Kosovo has security. I believe that, not only on the issue of the north, but also on other issues related to the gradual transfer of competencies to the Kosovo Security Force in the field of defense, we should discuss them with NATO,” Maqedonci says.
Asked by Radio Free Europe whether the announced reduction of KFOR changes the way coordination with Kosovo’s security institutions is carried out, a NATO official said the “optimization” process does not affect the existing cooperation arrangements with the local authorities.
He added that the deployment of the KSF in the north remains conditional on the current agreements and on the approval of the KFOR commander.
KFOR did not respond to Radio Free Europe’s request for comment.
Regarding this issue, retired US General Douglas Lute says that NATO and the Kosovo authorities are in the best position to assess whether this arrangement still makes sense or not.
“I am confident that NATO command in Pristina is closely monitoring the situation, in cooperation with the Kosovo authorities, and KFOR is unlikely to take on unnecessary risks,” he said.
Lute adds that at this stage, Kosovo’s main priority should be political rather than military.
He stresses the need to create an inclusive government representing all of Kosovo’s citizens, linking this to the original aim of KFOR and UN Resolution 1244 for a Kosovo in which law, order and interethnic coexistence prevail.
“Today in Kosovo, politics carries more weight than security. The security situation is sufficient to allow political progress, so it is expected that, after the latest elections, the parliament and government will work together to move the country forward. It is time for political progress,” he says.
Although Kosovo considers Serbia the main security threat, a perception reinforced by incidents such as the one in Banjska, Lute does not see any near-term scenario for military intervention.
On the contrary, he shifts the focus of the debate from the borders to the interior of the state, particularly to strengthening the rule of law and governance.
