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NATO announced Friday that it will gradually reduce the size of Kosovo Force (KFOR), its peacekeeping mission, over the next year, saying the security situation has improved enough to allow a smaller military presence while maintaining stability.
"NATO and KFOR are fully committed to safety and security in Kosovo," U.S. Air Force General Alexus G. Grynkewich, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), said in a statement.
"It is this commitment that has led to increased stability as the security organizations in Kosovo have become more capable. The current conditions provide an opportunity to further optimize KFOR's size and posture," he added.
NATO said the reductions will be implemented gradually through national rotational deployment and redeployment cycles between now and next year.
The alliance stressed that the adjustments will remain conditions-based and could be reversed if the security situation worsens.
KFOR has been deployed since 1999 under a United Nations mandate.
NATO noted that it ended the deployment of reserve troops to the mission in January after more than two years of continuous rotations.
The reserve forces were dispatched after tensions and violence escalated in 2023, including attacks on NATO peacekeepers in the northern Kosovo town of Zvecan.
At the time, the alliance deployed nearly 1,000 additional troops, marking KFOR's largest reinforcement in more than a decade.
According to NATO, any future reductions will continue to be carried out through normal troop rotation cycles and remain tied to developments on the ground.
The alliance also reaffirmed its commitment to stability in the Western Balkans and reiterated its support for the European Union-facilitated dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, describing the process as essential for long-term regional security.
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