US Department of Defense: No changes planned for troops in Kosovo

The NATO mission KFOR has been providing security in Kosovo for more than 25 years. But while US government representatives are announcing a possible reduction of their military presence in Europe, questions are also being raised: would American soldiers remain in KFOR or would the Trump administration demand favors in return?

The US Department of Defense told Radio Free Europe that there would be no changes to the deployment of its forces for the time being. But with ongoing tensions in the Balkans and changing global priorities, Kosovo must prepare for any scenario, former NATO officials say.

“Every KFOR soldier is fully aware of his duty to protect all citizens of Kosovo,” declared the then commander of the NATO peacekeeping mission, Mike Jackson, on June 25, 1999.

This force began deploying to Kosovo in the same month, immediately after the signing of the Kumanovo Agreement, which forced the complete withdrawal of the Serbian army and police from Kosovo.

It initially consisted of around 50,000 soldiers and grew to around 4,600 over the years.

More than 25 years later, its mission remains the same: “Maintaining a safe and secure environment for all”, but the future of the force remains somewhat in doubt.

A US Department of Defense official confirmed to Radio Free Europe that there is “no change in troop positioning to announce at this time.”

But former senior NATO official Jamie Shea says US President Donald Trump is being “transactional” and may ask Kosovo for favors in exchange for troop deployment.

“So be prepared,” Shea tells Radio Free Europe.

The former commander of Kosovo’s security forces, Kadri Kastrati, estimates that the country is currently not in a position to defend itself.

How did questions about American troops in Europe arise?

Initially, it was US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth who instructed Europe to prepare for a review and ultimately a reduction of the American military presence.

During a visit to Warsaw last month, Hegseth said the country’s future depended on global threats and America’s strategic priorities.

“This is why our message to our European allies is so tough. “Now is the time to invest, because you can’t assume that America’s presence will last forever,” he said on February 14.

According to a document obtained by the Washington Post newspaper, Hegseth also instructed the Pentagon and US military leadership to draw up plans to cut the defense budget by eight percent over each of the next five years.

Another element was added to this debate by US Vice President JD Vance.

He criticized European politicians for their rejection of the far right, while linking the future of US troops in Europe to policymaking on the continent.

Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Feb. 20, Vance said Americans would not support deploying troops in Germany if people there could be jailed for offensive posts on social media.

“The entire German defense is subsidized by American taxpayers,” he said.

The situation caused considerable concern among allies on the other side of the Atlantic.

The prospective German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that his goal would be to become independent of the USA in terms of security policy.

“For me, the absolute priority will be to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible,” he said.

Trump has already repeatedly called on European allies to significantly increase their financial contributions to defense during his first term as president.

When asked if he would be willing to withdraw all US troops from Europe as part of an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin on peace in Ukraine, Trump said during a press conference on February 18:

“Nobody asked me to do that.” I don’t think we should do that. “I wouldn’t want to do it.”

The presence of American troops in Europe

The United States has several operational and military bases in Europe.

The largest number of American soldiers – over 35,000 – are stationed in Germany.

This country is also home to the largest American airbase – Ramstein – where over 16,000 military personnel, civilians and contract workers are stationed.

Apart from a temporary increase at the beginning of the Russian war in Ukraine, the US military presence in Europe has been declining since the end of the Cold War.

According to the US European Command, the total number of US forces in Europe fluctuated between 75,000 and 105,000 in 2022.

Of these, around 63,000 are currently permanently deployed, with the remainder working on a rotational basis.

Around 600 US soldiers are currently stationed in Kosovo as part of the KFOR mission; in 1999 there were still over 5,000.

Since this year, they also have Camp Bondsteel, which is located near Ferizaj in the south-east of Kosovo and serves as the largest US military base in the Balkans.

What does NATO say?

Radio Free Europe asked NATO whether there were plans to leave the KFOR presence in Kosovo unchanged despite a possible reduction of US troops in Europe.

The reply he received stated, among other things: “American representatives have clearly stated their commitment to the Alliance, including the U.S. presence in Europe.”

It also states that the US has expressed its expectations that NATO allies must do more, invest more and produce more “in support of our common security”.

“NATO is constantly adapting to the changing environment … KFOR continues to implement its mandate – which is based on UN Security Council Resolution 1244 of 1999 – and contributes to a secure environment for all people and communities in Kosovo,” a NATO representative said, adding that ‘the US continues to play a fundamental role’ within the KFOR mission.

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said in a meeting with KFOR Commander Enrico Barduani on March 4 that Europe is facing a complicated geopolitical situation and that “a joint engagement with KFOR and NATO remains crucial.”

“Be prepared”

Shea, who served in various capacities in NATO until his retirement in 2018, does not expect any immediate changes to the presence of American troops in Europe and consequently in Kosovo, but says that the situation remains uncertain and needs to be carefully monitored.

According to him, the American contingent in Kosovo is small and “does not represent a major financial burden for the US compared to the American forces in Germany or Poland”.

He also recalls that Trump has in the past “tried to play the peacemaker between Belgrade and Pristina” and says that US troops in Kosovo “give the US greater leverage in that role”.

“But Trump is transactional, and he may ask Kosovo what favors it can offer to keep [American] troops in Kosovo – particularly in the form of business deals and investment opportunities.” “So be prepared,” Shea says.

Moreover, he adds, Pentagon budget cuts will inevitably force the US military to economize and reallocate its resources.

Why is NATO’s presence in Kosovo important?

Nearly 26 years after the end of the war and 17 years after declaring independence, Kosovo is not recognized by Serbia and relations between the two countries remain strained.

Although the two countries have been negotiating a normalization of their relations since 2011, the neighbouring country continues to regard Kosovo as its own part.

Following an armed attack in the north of the country in 2023, the Kosovan authorities accused it of attempting to annex the Serb-majority territory.

Although Serbia denied any involvement in this attack, it deployed military troops on the border with Kosovo for several days.

The Kosovar security forces do not provide any information about their defense capabilities, as they consider them to be sensitive. However, their former commander Kadri Kastrati estimates that the country is currently not in a position to defend itself.

“Unfortunately, we are very far from that because there has been no investment,” he tells Radio Free Europe.

“We have far from the necessary human capacity, infrastructure, equipment and weapons,” he adds.

The KSF is in the process of transforming into a regular army and is expected to have 7,500 active members and reservists (currently there are around 2,500).

Kosovo’s Defense Minister Ejup Maqedonci told Radio Free Europe at the end of last year that Kosovo had spent over 269 million euros on arms purchases in four years.

It is known that the country has also secured weapons from two NATO powers: the USA and Turkey, and that it also intends to build its own factory for the production of ammunition.

Former Defense Minister Agim Çeku talks about the importance of NATO in Kosovo and says that the security situation in the country has not changed significantly since the military alliance’s intervention in 1999.

“NATO came to Kosovo because Serbia was acting aggressively towards Kosovo and the Albanians. Unfortunately, this approach has not changed so far. “Serbia continues to treat Kosovo as a part of its country and continues to dream of a return to Kosovo,” Çeku tells Radio Free Europe.

Until there is an agreement on mutual recognition between Kosovo and Serbia, the NATO mission KFOR will remain a key factor for the country’s security, he says.

“It is also a guarantor for the stability of the entire Western Balkans,” says Çeku.

Former Albanian Defense Minister Fatmir Mediu expressed similar sentiments to Çeku.

“The Balkans are of great strategic importance to NATO, especially because of its access to the Mediterranean and the Adriatic. “But for Kosovo, NATO’s presence is even more important – to ensure its stability and prevent the situation from being destabilized by actors such as Serbia, Russia and China,” he tells Radio Free Europe.

Could KFOR survive without American soldiers?

Former NATO official Shea says “yes”.

“KFOR is under Italian and Turkish command and the majority of the troops are European,” he says, adding: ”Since 2004, the Europeans have been administering Bosnia and Herzegovina themselves.”

Nevertheless, Shea argues that it is advantageous to keep American troops in Kosovo for as long as possible because, in his opinion, this ensures continued US attention.

“U.S. ground troops keep Kosovo on the radar screen at the White House and the State Department, and they help the U.S. stay engaged in the Kosovo-Serbia dialog,” Shea says.

With increasing insecurity in the region – due to the trial of Milorad Dodik, the leader of Republika Srpska, and ongoing protests in Serbia – U.S. forces have acted as a stabilizing factor, he said.

How can Kosovo prepare for any scenario?

Mediu believes it is time for Kosovo to align itself as closely as possible with NATO and the US “and not pursue internal policies that lead to division.”

“The country should take a proactive approach to NATO membership and deepen strategic relations with the US,” he says.

Mediu, currently a member of the Albanian parliament, also proposes the creation of a joint force with the NATO member countries of the Western Balkans – Albania, North Macedonia and Montenegro – to build a powerful defense mechanism, he says.

“The stability of Kosovo and the entire region cannot be left to fate,” says Mediu.

Shea also emphasizes the importance of Kosovo working with the Trump administration at all levels “to ensure that its interests are accurately communicated and surprises are avoided.”

“Trump is unpredictable, so it’s best to prepare for all scenarios,” says Shea.

Given the US president’s transactional style of diplomacy, Shea adds that Kosovo should also identify areas for potential negotiations with him.

Business interests are always high, he says, citing the rumored agreement between the US and Ukraine in the minerals sector as an example.

The need for this delicate balance, which is crucial for the security of Kosovo, became clear as early as 1999, when the now deceased General Jackson refused to obey his American commander’s order to pave the way for Russian forces to enter Kosovo if they invaded without consulting NATO.

“I will not start World War III for you,” Jackson is reported to have said to General Wesley Clark in June 1999.

If Jackson prevented it over a quarter of a century ago, why leave security to chance today!/REL/