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The United States sharply criticized the U.N. Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) on Tuesday, urging the U.N. Security Council to begin winding it down, calling the mission “wasteful” and no longer relevant.
“The ultimate goal of a peacekeeping mission should be to enable the conditions that obviate the need for the mission,” said Ambassador Jeff Bartos, the U.S. representative for U.N. management and reform. He argued that Kosovo no longer faces a security crisis that justifies UNMIK’s presence.
“There is no security crisis in Kosovo, and UNMIK no longer has a role in the governance of Kosovo,” Bartos said.
“The time has come to draw down the mission.”
Bartos said Washington acknowledges UNMIK’s past contributions but stressed that it has become inefficient.
“The reality is that UNMIK is a bloated peacekeeping mission without peacekeepers,” he said, noting that 81% of the mission’s budget funds staff salaries and support activities that could be handled by other organizations.
Calling current meetings on Kosovo “performative,” Bartos said they “damage the institution” and divert resources from more urgent global crises.
“These frequent performative meetings on UNMIK are wasteful and diminish the important work this council must do,” he said.
Kosovo also argued that UNMIK should shut down. Its Foreign Minister Donika Gervalla-Schwarz said, “UNMIK has to be closed. It is a huge waste of U.N. money. It serves no purpose anymore.”
Serbia, however, urged the Security Council “to uphold UNMIK fully.”
Bartos said the mission is undergoing a staffing review but warned against attempts to justify its continuation.
“As we have said time and again, the United States is committed to identifying and eliminating unnecessary, wasteful spending in the United Nations,” he said.
The United States called on the council to revise UNMIK’s mandate and reassign responsibilities to other institutions, while pressing both Kosovo and Serbia to de-escalate tensions.
“The United States urges Kosovo and Serbia to work to lower tensions, refrain from escalatory measures, and build peace and stability between them with the ultimate goal of mutual recognition,” Bartos said.
Kosovo declared independence in 2008, and 108 countries have since recognized it, including the United States and Türkiye. Serbia, however, continues to consider Kosovo part of its territory.
Tensions between the two have persisted in recent years, particularly in Serb-majority areas of northern Kosovo, occasionally prompting Serbia to amass troops near the border.
Since taking office in January, the Trump administration has moved to withdraw from or defund several international institutions, including U.N. agencies, frequently citing inefficiency and misuse of funds.
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