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
-
![Tulpar firing trials expand Hitfact Mk II platform options]()
Tulpar firing trials expand Hitfact Mk II platform options
Firing trials of the Tulpar and Leonardo Hitfact Mk II combination follow an integration programme covering mechanical, electrical, electronic and software interfaces.
-
![How to breach a minefield: from traditional systems to modern techniques in action]()
How to breach a minefield: from traditional systems to modern techniques in action
The news from Ukraine has again shown that antitank minefields and other obstacles on the battlefield, such as deep trenches, can play a key role in both offensive and defensive operations. Given this, there will always be a need to clear them, both during and after a conflict.
-
![British Army's open plan draws diverse offerings for Land Rover replacement]()
British Army's open plan draws diverse offerings for Land Rover replacement
The UK Ministry of Defence has avoided being prescriptive in its search to replace the British Army’s Land Rover, meaning vehicle types being offered range from Land Rover Defender Wolf II and Humvee to the hybrid series Fering Pioneer. What does this mean for the procurement process?
-
![DVD 2026: British Army’s Ajax back in the hands of users as part of a gradual return]()
DVD 2026: British Army’s Ajax back in the hands of users as part of a gradual return
The introduction of Ajax vehicles into British Army service was stopped after operator health issues were reported during an exercise, but manufacturer General Dynamics Land Systems UK believes work over the past 10 months has dealt with the problems.
-
![Europe commits to long-range fires but countries move in different directions]()
Europe commits to long-range fires but countries move in different directions
Sweden, Croatia and France are pursuing different rocket artillery solutions as European armies seek greater reach, survivability and industrial resilience.
-
![MAAF to test Britain’s shift from armour to distributed lethality in Estonia]()
MAAF to test Britain’s shift from armour to distributed lethality in Estonia
The bilateral agreement between the UK and Estonia comes as both countries explore how dispersed troops, drones, digital targeting, anti-tank weapons and increasingly long-range fires can complement the combat mass traditionally provided by heavy armour.
