Kurti Announces Joint Military Unit with Albania; Belgrade Warns of “Direct Threat”

Kosovo’s caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti announced on Sunday that his government plans to create a joint military unit with the Armed Forces of the Republic of Albania.

Speaking at a session of his party’s General Council in Pristina, the Vetëvendosje leader outlined a far-reaching plan to strengthen Kosovo’s military and expand international partnerships, while Kosovo remains in a political and constitutional deadlock. More than a half a year after the February 9 elections, neither a new parliament nor government has been formed.

Kurti pledged that during the next four-year mandate, his government would allocate over one billion euros for the Kosovo Security Force (KSF). He announced the revival of a munitions factory, the development of a domestic defense industry, and accelerated recruitment of new cadets, with a special goal of enlisting 1,000 women.

He also presented a program of “comprehensive defense”:

“Every voluntary reservist will undergo proper training and be equipped in case of mobilization,” Kurti said.

On foreign and security policy, he vowed to double the number of military attachés and expand the network of countries with which Kosovo signs Status of Forces Agreements (SOFA), as steps toward NATO membership.

“We will further strengthen strategic relations with the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Turkey, and all EU and NATO member states,” Kurti added, while recalling Kosovo’s EU membership application submitted in December 2022. He reiterated the goal of completing all chapters of EU accession talks by 2030.

Kurti further argued that under his leadership, Kosovo had successfully faced “the greatest and fiercest attacks by Serbian structures since the declaration of independence.”

Belgrade: A Threat and a Step Toward “Greater Albania”

Reacting a day later, Petar Petković, acting head of the Serbian Government’s Office for Kosovo and Metohija, condemned the announcement:

“The military alliance between the so-called Kosovo Security Force and the Armed Forces of Albania is a direct threat to Serbia and the Serbian people. This is yet another step toward the creation of so-called Greater Albania,” Petković said.

He accused Pristina of escalating tensions and warned that such moves destabilize the Western Balkans:

“All this militarization is happening in front of the entire international community, which has not reacted to Kosovo’s military partnerships with Albania and Croatia—both NATO members. The goal is destabilization and to turn the region into a new powder keg.”

Petković stressed that only KFOR has a legal mandate in Kosovo under UN Security Council Resolution 1244:

“Every attempt to militarize the so-called KSF is a violation of this resolution and an effort to create a new KLA, whose activities were outlawed,” he said.

Despite the warnings, he insisted that Belgrade will remain committed to peace:

“Regardless of Kurti’s threats and war dreams, Serbia will, under the leadership of President Aleksandar Vučić, continue to safeguard peace and the Serbian people, acting responsibly and insisting on full respect for UNSC Resolution 1244.”

Background: KSF Transformation

The KSF has been undergoing a long-term transition into what Kosovo institutions describe as a national army. The process began in December 2018 with the adoption of three laws transforming the Ministry of KSF into a Ministry of Defense and laying the groundwork for the force’s evolution.

The 2013 Kosovo–NATO agreement prohibits KSF from entering northern Kosovo without KFOR approval. Despite this, KSF units—authorized by KFOR—were present in the north last August to recover the body of a drowning victim.

While NATO countries maintain cooperation with KSF, the Alliance as a whole does not formally endorse its transformation into a full army. In July, Belgium became the latest country to officially recognize a Kosovo military attaché, paving the way for the opening of Kosovo’s military office in Brussels.