Former spokeswoman NATO: US troops in KFOR keep Kosovo on radar of the White House

The American “Body also keeps Kosovo on radar at the White House”, says Shea in an interview for Kosova Preress, stressing that he does not expect the American president to withdraw troops from Europe. Currently, the U.S. has about 100,000 troops in Europe.

KFOR in Kosovo, which is the third guarantor, has about 4,600 members, of whom 600 are American troops.

Shea explains that the number of American forces in Kosovo poses no burden to the Pentagon's budget but promotes extraordinary level of stability.

Of course, the American presence is important. You know, NATO, along with the United States and Europeans, carried out the air campaign in 1999. The US and Europe worked together to bring peace to Bosnia and Herzegovina after 1995. And, of course, KFOR has already been there for over a quarter century. So it's been a big success story because of this transatlantic partnership. When you consider the transfer of American forces worldwide to South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, parts of the Middle East, and of course, to Europe, the number in Kosovo is small. It's very, very small. It is not a big burden to the Pentagon budget”, he said.

Shea adds that the Pentagon promotes an extraordinary level of stability and prevention as well, preventing aggression against Kosovo.

So I hope those American forces remain. You know, maybe Europeans will have to pay more for this. I don't know, like I said, because Trump is very focused on financial issues. But troops, American troops also keep Kosovo on the radar of the White House. If the United States has troops in one country, they tend to care about that country's geopoliticality and play a role in the region's diplomacy as well. Therefore, I think it is important to have that visible US presence to keep the US engaged in regional constructive diplomacy as well”, he says.

Discussion about American troops in Europe has increased earlier this year after senior officials in the new US administration called on Europeans to increase defence spending, with statements such as Europeans cannot expect US military presence in Europe to last forever.

And for NATO, yes, there are some people, not many in the government, but in the widest movement of Trump who are sceptical of NATO. But so far, President Trump has not called to abandon NATO. He has been critical of allies who do not spend enough on protection, in his opinion, and he has made some comments from time to time that perhaps the United States will not protect those allies who do not spend 2% of GDP for protection. But today, 23 of the 32 allies spend 2% or more for protection, and that number will increase. So I think President Trump will protect at least most NATO allies, because most NATO allies will meet the target of spending”, Shea told Kosovo Pres.

Shea has declared that Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State, has been clear that the United States has no plans to withdraw American troops from Europe.

The next US ambassador to NATO, “, spoke in the Senate two weeks ago and said that the US commitment to NATO is firm. Trump could move some troops, yes, there are some rumors that maybe he'll move some troops from Germany to Poland. We'll have to wait and see. But that's okay, in the sense that those troops will still defend NATO's eastern borders. I think in the end, NATO is a very important part of America's global power. It gives the United States three-quarters of all its allies is in America's personal interest. So I expect some turbulence, but I do not expect President Trump to withdraw [the troops] from NATO”, he says.

KFOR operates in Kosovo since June 1999, and the presence of this mission had increased following increasing tensions in the country's north, in 2023 when Serb groups funded by Belgrade attacked the Kosovo Police by killing Sergeant Africa Buxaku.

A year later, at the end of 2024, Serbs also attacked Kosovo's critical infrastructure. Speaking of these developments, Shea sees no possibility for a new conflict, but says there is always the danger of incidents.

Therefore, it is very important that KFOR work closely with the Kosovo Police.

I don't see the possibility for a new conflict. But there's always the danger of several incidents like Banjska, of course, a few years ago, that was a terrible incident. And these incidents, of course, can explode and get out of control. That's true. And we've seen demonstrations and riots in the north. There are people who, of course, want to stir up problems, when it comes to registration signs or municipal elections, or the dinar role in Kosovo's economy, they see a pretext to fuel problems. So I think this is a very possible scenario, disinforming campaigns, propaganda and incident”, Shea said.

He has added that it is important that KFOR work very closely with Kosovo security forces, with Kosovo police, to have good information to predict these incidents, to monitor the border very carefully.

So I don't think there's going to be a big conflict, no, but unfortunately, provocations, yes, and that's why we need to be ready, as I said, to predict, to react quickly, and to prevent these incidents from being more tragic, or not as tragic as they might be, let's say so. I mean, Banjska, when you look at the weapons of these paramilitary forces, was like a mini army that could have caused massive loss of life. And so it's almost a miracle that the Kosovo police managed to prevent, you know, that the massive loss of life” would happen, says Shea.

That NATO is ready to respond to security developments in Kosovo, Secretary General Mark Rutte said during his visit to Kosovo last week.

From politicians, he called for flexibility and compromises in the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue.

Former spokeswoman NATO, Jamie Shea, says it is not clear how much Kosovo's priority will be on the White House agenda. But he orders that Kosovo should establish good relations with the Trump administration.

“Of course, we will have to wait and see what priority Kosovo will have in the current administration. Trump is also committed to China, with Russia, with Ukraine. And over the weekend, of course, there were American air strikes on Yemen in the Middle East. So it's not as clear as the priority, not only Kosovo, but Europe in general, on the White House agenda. But I must imagine Trump would not have forgotten that he was interested in Kosovo last time. He likes to appear as a conciliatory, the man who can solve difficult conflicts that other presidents cannot solve. And of course, we'll have to wait and see. I have said in previous interviews that I think is important for Kosovo to establish good relations with people in the Trump” administration, says Shea.

Shea emphasises that Trump has the influence to bring Kosovo and Serbian leaders back to the table.

To make them not only make new agreements, but to implement ʹ of course Serbia must sign the Ohrid Framework Agreement that has already been reached and that would lead us forward with a big step”.

Shea says Kosovo's European integration is necessary.

“We need to be honest, trust was slightly shattered in the last government, in the EU's recent administration, especially in the way Pristina handled the situation in the north. Some of the statements made, some of the communications that were made. But I say in every interview that it doesn't make sense because Kosovo's friends are in Brussels. Generally, Kosovo has a European future. Its integration into Europe is necessary. This is what the people of Kosovo want. So you cannot have a quarrel with your friends. We fight enemies, not friends. And so I hope, again, that now we can have a new start of”, he stressed.

Shea has added that it is good that Peter Sorensen [the EU family for dialogue] is there.

Of course, there is a base that is created by Miroslav Lajcak on which we can build. I mentioned the Ohrid Agreement. There are many elements where we have, in principle, the agreement between Belgrade and Pristina to move forward, something like transportation, borders, financial issues and others. And if we could reach an agreement on implementing these things, without necessarily inventing new agreements, we would be far ahead. So when you have the opportunity to get back to it, use it”, says Shea.

Apart from aspirations for membership in the European Union, Kosovo aims to join NATO. This process is not easy until there are member states that still do not recognise Kosovo's independence.

Jamie Shea, who was the voice of NATO at the time of war in Kosovo, hopes the alliance will deepen its partnership with Kosovo.

“NATO, Mark Rutte, was in Kosovo last week with NATO ambassadors, the North Atlantic Council. So this is, of course, a politically important symbol of NATO's commitment to Kosovo, which has now lasted more than a quarter century. It is a good opportunity not only to hear from KFOR but also to see the progress of Kosovo security forces” has added the former NATO spokeswoman.

He added how a former employee of NATO, as I hope NATO will deepen its partnership with Kosovo, do more things, more training, more reforms in the security sector, more equipment, more interoperability, for the Kosovo Security Forces to look more and more like a NATO force, to be discussed in the future form of those forces.

“I don't know when Kosovo will join NATO. But I am a great supporter of that lead”, the former NATO spokeswoman has added.

Shea has already stressed that the main thing is not to waste time, not to analyse and make sure that step by step, Kosovo continues to draw closer to NATO, looks more like an ally of NATO over days.

“I hope that the issue of recognition, with which we continue to live, will be resolved soon, both in the EU and NATO. And I hope that at least I'm still here in this world, I hope for a long time, to see this happen. And of course, it would give me extraordinary personal satisfaction to see this happen”, he says. / KP/