
The North Atlantic Alliance (NATO) has announced that it will "optimize" its presence and gradually reduce the number of troops serving in the KFOR mission.
The decision to reduce the number of troops next year comes as a result of the continuous improvement of the security situation in recent years in Kosovo.
NATO has suspended the deployment of reserve forces, which had been engaged in continuous rotation for more than two years in KFOR, since January of this year.
"Existing conditions provide opportunities to optimize the size and positioning of KFOR," stated NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, US General Alexus G. Grynkewich, in a statement issued on June 12, 2026.
"NATO and KFOR are fully committed to security in Kosovo. It is precisely thanks to this commitment that the security situation in Kosovo has improved as security organizations in Kosovo have increased their capacities," added Grynkewich.
The Western military alliance announced that the adjustment of troops will be made in accordance with developments on the ground, underlining that this decision can be immediately reversed in the event of a deterioration or change in security conditions.
This development comes on the 27th anniversary of Kosovo's liberation, marking almost three decades since 1999, when, after 78 days of bombing of Serbian targets, allied forces led by the United States of America entered Kosovo.