Improved security situation in Kosovo allows for optimisation of KFOR mission
The security situation in Kosovo has continued to improve over the last years. Consequently, in January, NATO ceased the deployment of reserve forces to the Kosovo Force (KFOR) after over two years of continuous rotation. As the security in Kosovo remains generally steady, NATO will optimise KFOR’s posture in Kosovo and gradually adjust its current strength over the next year.
Since 1999, KFOR’s posture has continuously adjusted so that the mission remains fit for purpose and responds to the evolving security situation. Following increased tensions and violence in 2023, including unjustified attacks against KFOR peacekeepers in Zvečan, KFOR saw its largest reinforcement in over a decade with the deployment of nearly 1,000 additional troops.
With the security situation now stable, KFOR’s posture can be adjusted accordingly while effectively maintaining a safe and secure environment for all people and communities living in Kosovo as well as freedom of movement, at all times and impartially, in line with its long-standing UN mandate, based on UN Security Council Resolution 1244 of 1999, and in close coordination with the Kosovo Police and the EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) in their respective roles as security responders.
“NATO and KFOR are fully committed to safety and security in Kosovo,” said U.S. Air Force General Alexus G. Grynkewich, Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR). “It is this commitment that has led to increased stability as the security organisations in Kosovo have become more capable. The current conditions provide an opportunity to optimise KFOR’s size and posture further.”
General Grynkewich also reiterated NATO’s strong commitment to the Western Balkans, a region of strategic importance for the Alliance, whose security is directly linked to security in the Euro-Atlantic area, and added NATO will not allow a security vacuum to emerge.
The optimisation, announced as the mission marks its 27th year, is executed under SACEUR’s extant authorities and follows a thorough review and intelligence-driven assessment of the security situation.
Calibrated reductions are expected to follow national rotational deployment and redeployment cycles between now and next year. The optimisation will occur gradually and in line with conditions on the ground, and could be reversed, if warranted by relevant security developments.
NATO continues to support the EU-facilitated dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina and to urge both sides to engage to resolve outstanding issues and reach a solution that respects the rights of all communities. This is key for lasting security in Kosovo and stability in the region.
: North Atlantic Treaty Organization