Enshrining Kosovo and NATO as security partners

The US should impress upon NATO countries that do not recognise Kosovo that their obstruction destabilizes the Balkans, weakens the Alliance, and strengths Russia. NATO Member States should pledge to include Kosovo in its concluding statement at the next NATO summit

NATO is more than a defense alliance. It is a coalition of countries with shared values, united in opposition to tyranny. Further than their commitment to democratic government, the US and Kosovo are strategically aligned in deterring Russian influence in Southeast Europe. The Biden administration must make Kosovo's NATO membership a priority. Incorporating Kosovo into the Alliance would curtail Russia's malign influence in the Balkans and undermine President Vladimir Putin's claim that Russia is a more reliable partner than NATO and the EU.

Kosovo and NATO have a history of cooperation dating back to 1999 when the North Atlantic Council authorized air strikes on Serbia in response to the genocide of Kosovo Albanians. The Kosovo Force (KFOR), a NATO-led international peacemaking operation, entered Kosovo on June 11, 1999. Its deployment was authorized by UN Security Council Resolution 1244, which put Kosovo on the path to independence.

NATO countries initially deployed 50,000 troops to stabilize war-torn Kosovo. There are still about 3,500 troops from 36 NATO and partner countries in Kosovo, including US troops at Camp Bondsteel. Though the numbers have decreased, NATO’s presence remains indispensable to deter Russia's provocations.

Putin asked President Joe Biden to pledge that NATO would not expand eastward or deploy military equipment to countries bordering Russia. Putin also opposes NATO enlargement in the Balkans. Russia staged violent incidents in Montenegro and North Macedonia to prevent their Euro-Atlantic integration.

US and Russian officials will focus on Ukraine when they meet in Geneva on January 10. Biden should also warn Putin to stop destabilizing Kosovo and other pro-western countries in the Western Balkans, which Putin views as the soft underbelly of Europe. Putin's approach to Kosovo is a bargaining card to strengthen Russia's influence in its "near abroad", consolidating Russia's imperialistic ambitions.

To this end, Russia broadened security cooperation with Serbia. It has established an intelligence base in Nis, near Serbia's border with Kosovo, expanding its footprint and sphere of influence. Russia also provides heavy offensive weapons to Serbia, militarizing the region.

Since 2018, Serbia's military budget has doubled. In 2019, Russia tested its S-400 surface to air missile system in Serbia. In addition, Russia provided its Pantsir-S1M air defense system to Serbia. It also sold MIG war planes and T-72 tanks to Serbia. The Kremlin sought to establish a naval base in Bar when Montenegro declined its proposal in December 2013. Putin looks to realize Russia's historic goal of access to the Adriatic Sea.

Putin mocks KFOR and NATO enlargement in Europe. He wants to export his authoritarian strong-man style of government to countries in the region. Serbia and Hungary are willing partners in Putin’s power play.

NATO is pushing back. It dispatched a Counter Hybrid Support Team to Kosovo to address Russia’s disinformation and malign influence operations. NATO and Kosovo’s Ministry of Defense are laying the ground to include Kosovo in Partnership for Peace (PfP), an incubator for countries seeking NATO membership. PfP develops the capacity of aspiring members to participate in NATO’s Membership Action Plan, the next step in preparing potential members to join the Alliance.

Putin believes that the US is in retreat from the world stage after NATO’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. Like a bayonet penetrating soft flesh until it hits hard bone, Putin is testing Biden’s resolve.

Biden and Putin spoke few days ago about de-escalating tensions on the Russia-Ukraine border. It is unclear whether Putin will step back from the brink. Regardless of Russian actions in Ukraine, the US should deepen security cooperation between NATO and Kosovo.

The US should impress upon NATO countries who do not recognize Kosovo that their obstruction destabilizes the Balkans, weakens the Alliance, and strengthens Russia.

NATO Member States should affirm the Alliance’s resolve to incorporate Kosovo in its concluding statement at the next NATO summit.

NATO should set a date for integrating Kosovo into the PfP, and a time frame for initiating a MAP for Kosovo.

NATO should also expand cooperation with Kosovo on cybersecurity.

US officials should affirm America's commitment to keep troops in Kosovo and maintain Camp Bondssteel as a trip wire to prevent Russia-Serbia aggression.

Integrating Kosovo into the Alliance will send a specific message: Putin will not be allowed to dictator the future of NATO and Europe. It would also signal the West's opposition to steps by Serbia to undermine Kosovo's sovereignty and independence.

(David L. Phillips is Director of the Program on Peacebuilding and Human Rights at Columbia University. He served as senior adviser to the State Department under Presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama. Lulzim A Peci is Director of the Kosovar Institute for Policy Research and Development (KIPRED). He served as Ambassador of Kosovo in Stockholm and briefly as the first Officer of Kosovo to Serbia.)