British peacekeepers give advice on the plan for Ukraine: In Kosovo you can see we did something good

A BBC journalist travelled to Kosovo to see what their work includes here.

After British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he was “ready and ready” to deploy United Kingdom troops on the ground in Ukraine as part of a possible peace agreement in the future, the experiences of the armed forces in Kosovo could prove valuable, the BBC writes.

I stayed at the Novo Selo camp with soldiers from the Royal Lancers regiment who are heading towards the end of their six-month duty tour there, writes Simon Ward of the BBC.

Political background in Balkan region is complex, followed Periscope.

In 1999, NATO carried out air raids on targets in neighbouring Serbia as part of efforts to end the Kosovo conflict.

After a peace agreement, Serbian forces withdrew from Kosovo.

Peacekeeping operations have been under way since then, but violence has sparked over the years and tensions still exist, as Serbia does not recognise Kosovo's independence declared in 2008.

Charles James Lowe is serving with Royal Lancers in Kosovo.

The 31-year-old, from Bledworth to Nottinghamshire, is a pilot of drones and uses intelligence technology in Kosovo villages, not far from Serbia.

British troops report Serbian authorities when they need to establish fears and vice versa to avoid any misunderstandings.

Chl Lowe said: Whatever opportunity we have trained for a new skill, whether it be fears or weapons, working together with our partner countries in the alliance, it will just make us a more powerful army”.

Most of the population are Kosovo Albanians, and they are keen to support the independence and presence of the British Army.

“People at home [United Kingdom] do not always see the effect of British military policy abroad”, Cpl Lowe said. “

We've gone to places and they like to see British and American soldiers. You've seen the streets bearing the name Tony Blair”.

“This country [Kosovo] is one of those places in the world where you can come and see that we have done something good and that has a lasting impact on people here”.

Outside his work in the military, Cup Lowe is a big fan of Nottingham Panthers ice hockey team.

I had to go to one of the games when I came back, right after Christmas and I was able to continue it online”, he said.

His other descendants include combat games on the table with characters from the Nottingham-based company Warham Hammer.

“You can talk to people from around the world”, he said.

It's really interesting... because we're everywhere now, so it's good to share interesting parts and have friends from all over the world who want to come and visit you. ”

Kosovo is a country where tensions can increase and always have the potential for incidents.

This means that whenever soldiers leave the camp, they leave with guns loaded as a precaution.

One of the main tasks undertaken by the British entity is public security on the streets of Pristina's capital and other cities around Kosovo.

L/ Chl Abbie Bradbury, from Mansfield to Nottinghamshire, said: We go out and talk to people, we see how they're walking, how they feel, if there's any advice we help them every day”

Being in operations in Kosovo is very different from training in the United Kingdom, 21-year-old said.

I think something as unusual as going out with a live gun on the street is something you need to learn to accept, but once you do it, it's like a second nature”.

L/ CP Bradbury is encouraging more women to consider a role with the military.

She said, “is wonderful, especially within the armoured and infantry Corps, seeing more and more women enter and stay as well, is really positive news”.

L/ Cul Bradbury says she always wanted to join the army.

I enrolled at age 15 and 9 months [as a junior soldier] this is all I've ever wanted to do, she said.

As British soldiers perform many different tasks throughout Kosovo, they constitute less than 1% of the total number of NATO personnel and allies in the country.

Currently there are 44 British soldiers from a total of the Kosovo Forces (KFOR) of 4,686.

The officer who commanded the British task unit, May Charlie Mackaness, said: “We are here to provide a safe environment and, as a result, interactions have been really positive with the local population”.

Major Mackaness agrees that the experience gained by British forces in Kosovo may be important for any future peacekeeping operation in Ukraine if such an agreement is reached.

“Yes, I think that we as regiments have been involved in numerous peacekeeping operations over the last decade, whether in Cyprus or in Kosovo, so I think of course that has given us very important experience of peacekeeping role”.