Stradner: Congressman resolution for Kosovo is strong political signal, approaching NATO

The resolution, presented on April 30th with two-party support from congressers Keith Self, Ritchie Torres and Mike Lawler, also sparked immediate reaction from Serbia, which regularly fights Kosovo's membership in international organisations.

For Ivan '%s' Stradner from the Washington Foundation for the Protection of Democracy (FDD), the resolution is strong political “, as it brings Kosovo closer NATO in a strategic sense”.

“On paper, Kosovo may not be much closer to membership, since four NATO allies still do not recognise it, but this is the step in the right direction at a time when the security situation in the region is worsening”, Stradner tells Radio Free Europe.

Kosovo has not yet made a formal request for NATO membership, as it faces major obstacles, such as the lack of recognition by the four member states: Greece, Romania, Slovakia and Spain.

It is also currently turning the Security Force into a full army, which is expected to last until 2028.

Furthermore, Kosovo is not even part of NATO's Partnership for Peace programme, which serves as a way for any country that wants to become a member of the military alliance.

A new member's admission requires bias within the alliance, so even the resolution presented by congressers urges Washington to encourage these four member states to recognise the newest state in Europe.

Stradner estimates that initiatives in Congress, such as this resolution, may not be able to force NATO allies to change their positions, but they shape the political environment by showing that Washington sees the Balkans as an unfinished strategic issue and expects more unity within the alliance.

“They also send clear signals to the internal American debate that there is no time to limit or withdraw American military commitments from the alliance in the Balkans, despite occasional speculation in this direction. A stable US military presence in Europe remains essential for the prevention and long-term stability”, she emphasises.

There have been rumours in recent months that the US could withdraw its troops from NATO, including from its peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, KFOR.

But, the Pentagon told Radio Free Europe earlier that there was no announcement of a change of force.

About 590 American forces serve in Kosovo as part of NATO's peacekeeping mission.

And, according to Stradner, this resolution also hangs out a clear message that the United States continues to invest in NATO's “role and cohesion.

Resolution reflects regional “tensions”

Stradner believes the presentation of the US resolution at this time reflects “both continued regional tensions, as well as a broader geopolitical race, where grey areas are increasingly seen as weaknesses”.

Tensions in the region have recently increased, with Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq, claiming without offering evidence that neighbouring countries “are preparing” for the attack on her.

To strengthen his narrator, Vuciq warned weeks ago new military investments and further increased defence capacity, stressing that Serbia must be prepared for any development in a complex “continent” security, caused by the activities of Pristina, Tirana and Zagreb.

He was referring to a joint declaration of co-operation in the field of defence between Kosovo and two NATO members: Albania and Croatia.

All three countries have repeatedly said that the trilateral declaration between them is not directed against anyone and that the goal is to develop defence.

Kosovo, on the other hand, has been accusing Serbia of aggression in recent years due to military exercises near its border.

Stradner says the Western Balkans have already shown how quickly tensions could escalate, citing incidents during the 2023 protests in the Serb-run populated north, where more than 90 NATO peacekeepers in Kosovo were hurt.

These incidents, according to her, underline that the “alliance is not facing abstract risks, but with real tension points”.

“Until he is facing difficulties in his war in Ukraine, Putin is looking for new ways to challenge the West, and the opening of a new conflict in the Balkans is always at his military residence, with the help of Vuciki. That is why NATO has an interest in stability in the region”, Stradner notes.

She believes that the lesson many policymakers learn from the invasion of Ukraine from Russia, which started in 2022 and is continuing, is “directly”.

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This applies to Kosovo, a country enjoying freedom thanks to NATO's 1999 intervention to back the then Serbian regime, as its officials have repeatedly reiterated that the country will be safer as part of the alliance.

Serbia's “predicted”

Serbia publicly fights Kosovo's independence and its membership in international organisations and, according to Stradner, Vuciqi's reaction to the American resolution is not surprising.

In a 2023 agreement on the dialogue mediated by the European Union, Serbia had pledged that it would not block Kosovo's membership in international organisations.

However, she has not kept her vow three years later and has continued to lobe against her neighbor.

The Vuchiqi's opposition to this resolution is predictable. He has little interest in welcoming a stronger NATO presence, but Serbia's participation in random NATO exercises should not be confused with a full alignment, especially given its parallel military co-operation with Russia and China”, Stradner notes.

Serbia is militarily neutral, but is part of NATO's Partnership for Peace programme and co-operates with the alliance in that spirit.

At the same time, however, it has consistently conducted military exercises with China and has not joined the West in imposing sanctions on Russia for the invasion of Ukraine.

Serbia is expanding its military capacities with the support of foreign partners, while Vuciq is continuing to balance between Brussels, Moscow and Beijing in a way that raises reasonable concerns about Serbia's long-term course of”, Stradner underscores.

It notes that, despite the Serbian and Serbian government's benefit from EU funds, rhetoric and the deployment of Vuciqi “balanced reflect themes related to Vladimir Putin, especially in the context of regional influence and tortures as a wider Serbian RCH”.

“Internal pressure also matters: while protests and political tensions within Serbia increase, there is a recurring pattern where Vuciq tends to escalate to de-tradition the situation in the region”, it concludes.