(Washington Insider Magazine) – The Senate’s draft annual defense bill aims to add Kosovo to the list of Eastern European nations eligible for U.S. military training, reflecting growing tensions in the Balkans. Set for debate this week, the fiscal 2024 National Defense Authorization Act allows Kosovo to participate in U.S.-led military exercises, enhancing its interoperability with NATO forces. This inclusion enables Kosovo to receive reimbursements for training through multilateral military exercises alongside NATO and Partnership for Peace members, including Serbia, its regional rival.
As a NATO Partnership for Peace member, Serbia frequently hosts the Platinum Wolf military exercises with U.S. and NATO allies, continuing despite its strained relations with Kosovo. A committee report accompanying the bill commends the Department of Defense for supporting Kosovo in developing its national security forces, emphasizing the need for professionalization and improved response capabilities against external threats.
The Senate Armed Services Committee has also highlighted the importance of expanding cybersecurity cooperation with Kosovo’s armed forces, directing Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to brief Congress on these efforts by the year’s end. The committee seeks to identify new areas for strengthening bilateral ties and enhancing existing cybersecurity collaboration.
This push to strengthen U.S.-Kosovar military relations aligns with the Biden administration’s goal of improving Pristina’s fraught ties with Serbia amid rising tensions between Albanian and Serb communities within Kosovo. Although the House Foreign Affairs Committee has engaged in discussions regarding the situation, opinions vary on the pressure to exert on Kosovo versus Serbia.
In a recent hearing, Europe subcommittee Chairman Thomas Kean emphasized that Kosovo must implement an association of Serb-majority municipalities, a commitment made a decade ago. He stressed the necessity of safeguarding the rights of Kosovo Serbs without compromising Kosovo’s sovereignty.
Violence has erupted in northern Kosovo’s Serb-majority municipalities following the installation of Albanian mayors elected amid a Serb boycott. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic condemned the elections and supported the boycott. The U.S. and EU have urged Kosovo to conduct fresh elections in these municipalities, warning that failure to comply could hinder Kosovo’s aspirations for NATO and EU membership.
Deputy Secretary of State for Eurasian Affairs Gabriel Escobar underscored that the U.S. has received assurances from Serbia to avoid opposing new elections, highlighting that there will be consequences for Serbia if it does not adhere to this commitment.
