NATO announced on Friday June 12 a reduction in the strength of its military mission in Kosovo, KFOR, due to the “improvement” of security conditions in this small Balkan country.
Around 4,600 soldiers are participating in this peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, the scene of unrest and tensions between the Kosovar majority and the Serbian minority, and whose independence has never been recognized by Serbia.
According to European diplomats at NATO, the United States had indicated its desire to reduce its troops. However, NATO did not specify which nationalities were affected by these reductions. Some 590 American soldiers are part of this NATO force, where Italy is mainly represented with more than 900 soldiers. In total, 31 countries are represented within KFOR.
No “security vacuum” promises NATO
“As the security situation is now stable, KFOR’s posture can be adjusted accordingly,” NATO said, ensuring that this decision was “reversible” if necessary. “NATO will not allow a security vacuum to be created,” assured the Alliance.
Despite persistent tensions in the Serb-majority north, the last major incident in Kosovo dates back to September 2023, when a Kosovar police officer was killed by a Serbian paramilitary group.
The United States has repeatedly indicated its desire to gradually disengage from the European continent. President Donald Trump announced at the beginning of May a reduction of around 5,000 American troops in Germany.
