Kosovo Security Forces (KBS) have doubled in size and tripled their budget, with plans to transition into an army by 2028, the country’s prime minister said.
Tensions with Serbia have risen following a recent attack on Kosovo’s infrastructure, which the government in Prishtina blamed on Belgrade despite a lack of evidence.
Kosovo was a Serbian province until NATO’s 78-day bombing campaign in 1999 ended a conflict between Serbian government forces and ethnic Albanians, spurred by a series of crackdowns followed by a string of crimes against the local population by the regime in Belgrade.
The conflict left about 13,000 dead, mainly ethnic Albanians, and pushed Serbian forces out. After being a UN protectorate, Kosovo proclaimed independence in 2008, which Belgrade refuses to recognise.
In the meantime, NATO peacekeepers under a UN mandate, KFOR, have been in charge of Kosovo’s security and are the country’s de facto army.
Yet, Kosovo has since shifted to developing its own armed forces and military industry, with plans to open its first state-funded ammunition factory and drone design lab.
“We are in contact and have also received a feasibility report with a state-owned manufacturer from the Turkish Ministry of Defence. We are in the finalisation phase of this project,” Kosovo Security Minister Ejup Maqedonci explained.
Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti stated that the country’s military armaments and ammunition are primarily sourced from NATO member countries, with the USA, Turkey, Germany, the UK, and Croatia being the key suppliers.
He also highlighted that while most of these purchases come from Kosovo’s own budget, a portion are donations from friendly, allied countries. This reflects Kosovo’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its military capabilities amid rising tensions in the region.
Kosovo’s government claims that the development of its military industry is solely for defence.
The Kosovo Security Forces have expanded their weaponry by acquiring armoured and transport vehicles, howitzers and mortars, Bayraktar drones, and Javelin anti-tank missiles.
The Kosovo government claims to be conducting the operation in coordination with the US, NATO’s most influential member. Washington has opposed the creation of Kosovo’s armed forces in the past.
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Aleksandar Rapajić, an expert in reconciliation and conflict transformation at the Center for Democratic Culture in Kosovo, states that NATO’s stance on Kosovo remains ambiguous.
He said, “We do not see that NATO is against the arming of the KBS because NATO members, such as Turkey and America, are very actively arming and training the KBS forces.”
“So maybe NATO is declaratively against it, but its strongest members are actively working to strengthen the KBS,” Rapajić told Euronews Serbia.
