NATO is increasing its presence in Kosovo
US concerned about Serbian military presence
September 30, 2023, 12:53 a.m
After the attack on a Kosovo police patrol, the USA expressed concern about the concentration of Serbian military on the border with Kosovo. NATO wants to send an additional battalion to the region.
In view of the recently flared up tensions in Kosovo, NATO wants to increase its presence in the Western Balkan country. The transatlantic alliance in Brussels said additional forces had been authorized to respond to the current situation. The British Ministry of Defense later said that NATO had been given command of a battalion. This would typically equate to 500 to 1000 soldiers.
The worst escalation of violence in several months occurred in northern Kosovo last weekend. According to the government, 30 armed and masked men opened fire on Kosovo police officers in a village not far from the border with Serbia on Sunday. They then occupied a Serbian Orthodox monastery. According to police reports, a police officer and three attackers were killed in exchanges of fire. A member of a major Kosovo Serb party said through his lawyer that he had organized the group without Belgrade’s knowledge.
The USA seems to have doubts about this version. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the attack was “very sophisticated” and involved around 20 vehicles, “military-style” weapons, equipment and training. It “doesn’t look like a bunch of people just got together to do this.”
US calls for “immediate de-escalation”
The White House has now called on Serbia to withdraw its troops stationed on the border with Kosovo. “We are observing a large Serbian military presence along the border with Kosovo,” Kirby said. This includes “an unprecedented deployment of advanced Serbian artillery, tanks and mechanized infantry units.” The purpose of the Serbian rearmament is not yet clear, but it is worrying. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized the need for “immediate de-escalation and a return to dialogue” in a telephone conversation with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Kirby explained.
Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008. But Serbia does not recognize this. 28 countries are involved in the United Nations’ KFOR operation, eight of which are not members of NATO. There are currently around 3,400 KFOR soldiers stationed in Kosovo, including around 70 from the Bundeswehr. Around 50,000 Serbs live in northern Kosovo, but over 90 percent of Kosovo’s total population are ethnic Albanians. Both sides blame each other for the recent escalation.