Germany doubles its commitment of troops to the NATO-led peacekeepers in Kosovo
Germany's Defense Minister Boris Pistorius says the country will double its contribution of about 100 troops to the NATO-led peacekeepers in Kosovo in a demonstration of its commitment to regional security
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Germany will double its contribution of about 100 troops to the NATO-led peacekeepers in Kosovo in a demonstration of its commitment to regional security, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Monday.
Pistorius, who was on a regional tour to Kosovo and neighboring Serbia, said Germany will add another company of soldiers to the 99 troops it already has in the nearly 4,500-strong peacekeeping force by spring. It is also prepared to add more if necessary, he said.
“I believe the signal is strong and expresses our perspective on the stability of this region,” Pistorius said at a news conference with Kosovar President Vjosa Osmani.
NATO has been ramping up the level of the Kosovo Force, or KFOR, from about 3,800, following two violent incidents last year.
In May, Serb demonstrators in northern Kosovo clashed with NATO peacekeeping troops. In September there occurred a deadly gunbattle when about 30 Serb gunmen clashed with Kosovo police, leaving a Kosovar officer and three Serb gunmen dead.
The KFOR force originally was established in 1999 following a NATO bombing campaign on Serb positions to halt a crackdown on separatist ethnic Albanians in Kosovo and end their 1998-99 war.
Kosovo-Serbia relations remain tense, and European Union-facilitated talks on normalizing their ties are at a stalemate. Brussels has made it clear that such an agreement is a prerequisite to Kosovo and Serbia joining the bloc.
Kosovo unilaterally broke away from Serbia and declared independence in 2008, a move that Belgrade has refused to recognize.
The 1998-1999 war between Serbia and Kosovo killed about 13,000 people, mostly Kosovo Albanians. It ended after a 78-day NATO bombing campaign that compelled Serbian forces to withdraw from Kosovo.