NATO to Reduce Kosovo Peace Mission Presence Gradually

The alliance says improving security conditions allow for adjustments to its Kosovo Force deployment, while keeping the ability to respond if the situation changes

12.06.2026 15:30

Newsroom

NATO to Reduce Kosovo Peace Mission Presence Gradually

epa01187161 YEARENDER 2007 NOVEMBER US soldiers serving in NATO-led peacekeeping mission hoist an U.S. flag as they are deployed at Camp Nothing Hill near Leposavic, Kosovo, 29 November 2007. US forces were being deployed in north Kosovo as tensions rise there after the collapse of independence talks. Based at Camp Nothing Hill, the 90 soldiers were reinforcing some 2,800 peacekeepers already positioned across northern Kosovo. Camp Nothing Hill is the northernmost NATO base in Kosovo, set among mountains near the town of Leposavic. EPA/VALDRIN XHEMAJ

12.06.2026 15:30

World

Newsroom

The alliance says improving security conditions allow for adjustments to its Kosovo Force deployment, while keeping the ability to respond if the situation changes

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NATO will gradually reduce and adjust the size of its peace support mission in Kosovo over the coming year, citing a steady security situation and increased capabilities among local security organizations.

The alliance said on Friday that changes to the Kosovo Force (KFOR), which has operated in the country since 1999, will take place gradually and will depend on conditions on the ground.

“NATO and KFOR are fully committed to safety and security in Kosovo,” U.S. Air Force General Alexus G. Grynkewich, Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), said in a statement.

He added that improved stability and stronger local security organizations had created an opportunity to further optimize KFOR’s size and posture.

The planned adjustments will follow national troop rotation and redeployment cycles between now and next year, NATO said.

The alliance stressed that the changes will be carefully managed and could be reversed if security conditions require a stronger presence.

KFOR was established in 1999 following the Kosovo conflict and has remained a NATO-led mission focused on maintaining peace and security in the country.