The United States Mission to NATO has stated that there are no discussions regarding the reduction or withdrawal of American troops from Kosovo. In an exclusive response to Gazeta Express, a senior official emphasized that no such decisions have been made.
“We are not aware of any discussions, and as Secretary Hegseth stated last week, there have been no decisions regarding troop levels,” the US official said.
The statement comes after the German newspaper BILD reported that European security institutions are alarmed over the potential reduction of US forces in Europe, specifically mentioning Kosovo. According to BILD, Italy is preparing for a possible withdrawal of US troops from Kosovo, which could leave European allies alone in the Balkans “against Putin’s ally, Aleksandar Vučić, and his powerful Serbian military.”
On Tuesday, former US President Donald Trump was asked whether he would withdraw US troops from Europe as part of a potential peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. Trump responded that no such request had been made and that he did not wish to take such an action.
“I don’t think we will have to do that. I wouldn’t want to do that. But that issue has never been raised,” Trump stated.
According to NATO’s official KFOR website, the United States currently has 602 troops stationed in Kosovo, making it one of the largest contributors to the peacekeeping force.
