US backs Kosovo's plan to create an army
Washington supports Kosovo's plans to create its own army, the US ambassador to Pristina said 6 December, signalling a rift with NATO, which is against the move.
Kosovo, a former Serbian province that declared independence in 2008, is expected to vote 14 December on whether to transform its lightly-armed emergency force, Kosovo Security Force (KSF), into a national army.
Since the end of the 1998-99 war that effectively cleaved it from Serbia, Kosovo has been defended by international NATO-led troops.
On 6 December NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg stressed that Kosovo's army plans are ‘ill-timed’ and go ‘against the advice of many NATO allies.’
But Washington is fully behind the move, US ambassador Philip Kosnett told state broadcaster RTK in Pristina.
‘We think that KSF's evolution into Kosovo's armed forces is a positive step and that it is only natural for Kosovo as a sovereign and independent country to have its own defence capability,’ he said, adding that the US has invested money and training in the emergency force's development.
‘This is a process that will take many years,’ he added.
Belgrade has led the charge in raising concern over Kosovo's army plans, which it has cast as a threat to the 120,000 Serbs still living in the former southern province.
Serbia refuses to recognise Kosovo's independence and still considers it a renegade territory.
Speaking about Pristina's army plans 5 December, Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said: ‘I hope that we will never have to use our army, but at this moment it is one of the options on the table’.
More from Land Warfare
-
![Czech government developing a plan for air defence beyond 2030 alongside NATO integration]()
Czech government developing a plan for air defence beyond 2030 alongside NATO integration
The Czech Armed Forces is set to receive four Israeli-made SPYDER long-range missile defence systems, the first of which was delivered earlier this year. They will be a key part of the country’s multilayered air defence system.
-
![Bidders for Australia’s long-range fires requirement push development of offerings]()
Bidders for Australia’s long-range fires requirement push development of offerings
Lockheed Martin is competing against a joint Kongsberg and Thales team to meet Australia’s requirement for a land-based, long-range fires system to protect Australia’s northern approaches. Both bidders have announced recent developments on associated missiles.
-
![How AI and robotics drive innovation in land-based defence]()
How AI and robotics drive innovation in land-based defence
The future on the frontlines: automation and AI isn’t just about improving efficiency or driving down labour cost - for Pearson Engineering it’s everything.
-
![How do land and air defense forces defend against complex threats?]()
How do land and air defense forces defend against complex threats?
Learn how RTX systems defend against complex attacks from adversaries including hostile drones, and multi-range missiles.
-
![Hundreds of Boxers with Puma turrets ordered for Dutch and German forces]()
Hundreds of Boxers with Puma turrets ordered for Dutch and German forces
The order is for 270 vehicles, 222 of which are infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) known as Schakal (Jackal), which integrates the advanced Puma IFV RCT30 turret onto the Boxer chassis.
-
![AUSA 2025: Hanwha Aerospace reveals new wheeled artillery system]()
AUSA 2025: Hanwha Aerospace reveals new wheeled artillery system
The aerospace company showed a model of its new mobile howitzer at AUSA in Washington, where a representative told Shephard more about its design.
