US warns of "contribution adjustment" in KFOR

The United States is expected to make changes to its contribution to NATO's mission in Kosovo, KFOR, as part of a broader review of the Alliance's military presence in the country.

An official from the United States European Command (EUCOM) told Radio Free Europe that the decision is based on an annual review conducted by the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), which recommended adjusting the troop presence on the ground, Radio Free Europe reports.

"Based on the most recent annual review by the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, NATO will optimise the positioning of the Kosovo Force (KFOR). As a result, US European Command will make a phased, risk-informed adjustment to the American contribution to KFOR, in line with this SHAPE-led review," the EUCOM official said.

The official added that the United States continues to regard the mission as a key component of regional stability in the Western Balkans, without providing details on the nature or scale of the potential changes.

NATO: A gradual reduction of its KFOR presence

Last week, NATO announced that it would gradually reduce its presence in Kosovo over the coming year, citing what it described as an improvement in the security situation.

Radio Free Europe sought clarification from Alliance headquarters in Brussels regarding the specific indicators underpinning that assessment, particularly in northern Kosovo, where the situation remains fragile.

In response, a NATO official said the Alliance does not comment on operational or intelligence matters, but stressed that the situation on the ground is continuously and closely monitored through a variety of means to ensure the mission remains fit for purpose.

KFOR currently comprises more than 4,600 troops from 31 countries.

Radio Free Europe also contacted the defence ministries of Italy and Hungary, two of the largest contributors to KFOR alongside the United States, to find out whether they are planning any review of their own forces, but received no response.

Kosovo's Ministry of Defence also did not respond to a request for comment.

At an event last week, Kosovo's acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti declared that Kosovo has a strong army and a capable police force and that it would soon have a gendarmerie as well, with the aim of guaranteeing peace and stability and advancing towards NATO and EU integration.

KFOR remains Kosovo's third security responder, after the Kosovo Police as the first responder and the EU rule-of-law mission EULEX as the second.

The mission is responsible for security along the border with Serbia, while the Kosovo Police holds responsibility for the remaining sections of the border line.

The debate over the American presence in Kosovo and beyond

The United States currently has approximately 590 troops deployed in Kosovo as part of KFOR, a significant reduction from the more than 5,000 troops stationed there in 1999, when the mission was established following the end of the war.

Since then, the US has also maintained Camp Bondsteel near Ferizaj, considered the largest American military base in the Balkans.

The debate over a possible review of the US presence in Kosovo began early last year, when US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth warned that Europe should prepare for an eventual review and reduction of American military presence.

During a visit to Warsaw at the time, Hegseth said that the future of the US presence would depend on global threats and American strategic priorities.

However, a US Department of Defense official told Radio Free Europe at the time that there were no changes to the current positioning of American forces.

Also in February of this year, the American newspaper Politico, citing four NATO diplomats, reported that the United States was asking the Alliance to scale back its external activities, including the peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, KFOR.

On that occasion too, a Pentagon official confirmed to Radio Free Europe that there were no changes to the deployment of American forces.

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

Of these, approximately 63,000 are permanently deployed, while the remainder serve on a rotational basis.

The largest concentration of US troops, more than 35,000, is located in Germany, which is also home to Ramstein Air Base, with over 16,000 military personnel, civilians and contractors.

In early May, the United States announced the withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany within the next 6 to 12 months.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the decision reflects operational needs and the situation on the ground.

"A US reduction in KFOR would be destabilising"

A report by the US Department of State, published at the end of last month, described the American presence in KFOR as a key component in guaranteeing a secure environment in Kosovo.

Analyst Mark Montgomery of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies told Radio Free Europe that any reduction in the US presence in KFOR would be "highly destabilising," as it would remove the United States from "the most likely point of tension," the Kosovo-Serbia border, and would signal that Washington is withdrawing from its security role.

He added that the United States is essential to the success of KFOR, and that discussions about changes to Kosovo policy are "concerning," as they could weaken deterrence and encourage Serbia to test the resolve of both the US and Europe.

Montgomery stressed that maintaining current levels of American troops in KFOR is a low-cost measure of high strategic importance, and that any reduction would bring, in his view, "harder times" for Kosovo and the region.

"With no logical replacement for the United States in this case, conditions are very likely to destabilise further if the US steps back," Montgomery said.

He added that Kosovo should strengthen its partnership with the United States by deepening economic cooperation, advancing energy independence and continuously lobbying for a sustained and robust American role in KFOR. At the same time, he stressed that the country must also resolve its internal political deadlock and demonstrate institutional stability and democratic governance.

For Erin Banc, a security expert at the Atlas Institute for International Affairs, the announced reduction of NATO troops in Kosovo, particularly American forces, reflects a broader US approach of burden-sharing with allies and focusing on other strategic priorities, such as the Indo-Pacific.

She too assessed that such a withdrawal could increase the risks of destabilisation in a region that remains fragile.

"The key will be how this withdrawal is managed. It depends on whether it will be gradual, coordinated with allies and accompanied by strong diplomatic engagement, or whether it will be a rushed and poorly communicated reduction that risks creating a security vacuum which Russia or other external actors could exploit," Banc said.