US Senator Dick Durbin has said that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s proposal to turn Camp Bondsteel into a permanent US military base “deserves serious consideration.”
He said the Government of Kosovo had “proposed a financial arrangement” for the initiative and that it would not involve a “major financial sacrifice.”
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) has contacted the Pentagon and the Government of Kosovo for details of the proposal but has not yet received a response.
In an interview with Kosovo’s public broadcaster RTK, Durbin recalled his October 12 meeting with Kurti in Pristina. He said the prime minister had taken the senators to his office and shown them a map of Kosovo to illustrate security risks in the country’s vicinity.
“We want everyone to be safe and at peace, and I think KFOR’s presence here has done that job well,” Durbin said.
Camp Bondsteel, located near Ferizaj, is the largest US military base in the Balkans. Kurti has repeatedly proposed making it a permanent American base, linking the initiative to long-term peace, stability and security in the region.
In late September, Poland also offered financial incentives to the United States to establish a permanent military base on its territory. The proposal included $15,000 annually for each US soldier stationed in the country, as well as coverage of infrastructure costs.
Democratic Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Dick Durbin are visiting Kosovo as part of a wider tour of the Western Balkans. During their stay, they met President Justina Shiroka-Pula, Prime Minister Albin Kurti and representatives of the Serbian List.
Their visit followed stops in Sarajevo and Tirana, where they discussed security, stability and US relations with countries across the region.
Speaking about Kosovo’s new president, Durbin said she faced the difficult task of “uniting the country and moving it forward.”
“The process she went through before the final decision was made required determination and courage. She has a major task ahead of her in bringing the country together and moving it forward. But I think the strength she demonstrated throughout that process will give her greater credibility in Kosovo and around the world,” he said.
Kosovo–US Relations
During the interview, the senators also discussed relations between Kosovo and the United States, including the absence of a US ambassador in Pristina and the suspension of the Strategic Dialogue between the two countries.
Shaheen said restarting the Strategic Dialogue would be very positive, but pointed to changes within the US administration and the State Department as challenges.
She said the senators had pressured the US administration to appoint more ambassadors and ensure diplomatic representation on the ground.
The United States suspended the Strategic Dialogue with Kosovo on September 12, 2025. At the time, Washington expressed concerns about actions taken by Kosovo’s then-caretaker government toward Serbian institutions in Kosovo, as well as its criticism of the Constitutional Court. The US said these actions had increased tensions and limited opportunities for cooperation on shared priorities.
In July this year, the US State Department told RFE/RL that resuming the dialogue depended on the creation of the necessary conditions, including Kosovo fulfilling its commitments toward Kosovo Serbs.
During their stay in Kosovo, Shaheen and Durbin also met representatives of the Serbian List, the largest party representing Kosovo Serbs, at the US Embassy in Pristina.
According to a statement issued by the party, its president, Zlatan Elek, and parliamentary group leader, Igor Simić, raised concerns with the senators about the rights and security of Kosovo Serbs.
They also highlighted what they described as the failure to implement agreements reached through the Kosovo–Serbia dialogue, particularly the establishment of the Association of Serb-Majority Municipalities and the representation of Serbs in institutions.
A day earlier, Kurti had asked the senators, among other things, to support Kosovo’s NATO membership bid.
In their RTK interview, the senators expressed support for continuing the security partnership with Kosovo and for the country’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations.
Asked whether Kosovo could one day become a NATO member, Shaheen said she hoped the country would make progress toward that goal.
Both senators described relations between Kosovo and the United States as a strong partnership and said they wanted it to continue and deepen.
Specialist Chambers
Asked about the legislative amendments approved by Kosovo’s Assembly concerning the Specialist Chambers in The Hague, the senators avoided commenting specifically on the amendments.
Shaheen referred to the possibility of appealing the decision and said she hoped the process would continue peacefully, with an outcome that Kosovo’s citizens could understand.
Durbin agreed that they needed to be cautious when commenting on court matters. He said any resolution should come through the legally established mechanisms and proceed peacefully.
Kosovo’s Assembly approved amendments to the law on the Specialist Chambers on October 8. The European Union expressed concern over the move, linking it to Kosovo’s international obligations.
