2-10-2023 (BRUSSELS) NATO announced on Sunday that approximately 600 additional troops would be deployed to Kosovo to assist the KFOR troops in the region. This decision follows a recent deadly attack on a Kosovar police station and increased tensions in the area. The UK is sending around 200 soldiers from the 1st Battalion of the Princess of Wales’ Royal Regiment to join the existing 400-strong UK contingent in Kosovo. NATO Spokesman Dylan White stated that further reinforcements would be sent by other Allies.
The violent attack on Kosovo Police on September 24, as well as the growing tensions in the region, prompted this decision. However, the announcement did not explicitly mention the statement by Washington on Friday, which warned of a Serbian military build-up near Kosovo’s border.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic rejected claims of a troop build-up, instead attributing the situation to a “campaign of lies.”
This move comes after an attack in the former Serbian region that resulted in the deaths of four people, including a Kosovar police officer and three heavily-armed Serbian militants. This attack is considered the most serious escalation in the region in recent years, raising concerns about a potential resurgence of conflict.
NATO has called for calm and emphasized that dialogue remains “the only way to achieve lasting peace.” The situation stems from Serbia’s refusal to recognize the independence of Albanian-majority Kosovo, which declared its independence in 2008.
