Kosovo has asked the United States to discuss the possibility of buying helicopters for the Kosovo Security Force (KSF). Defense Minister Ejup Maqedonci said that, alongside air support, air defense would also be a priority in developing the country’s capabilities.
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In an interview with Ekonomia Online, Maqedonci also discussed the risks that, in his view, Serbia’s actions pose to Kosovo and the region. He explained that the KSF commander had submitted the request for helicopters, while the purchase process would be carried out through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program, with the involvement of the U.S. Department of War.
The minister said Kosovo had also acquired drones and that the KSF currently has three types. He noted that the country is coordinating with its U.S. partners on airspace defense and preparations for possible aerial attacks. He cited helicopters as part of air support and said the KSF commander had asked the United States to begin discussions about them. Under the FMS program, he said, the request is sent to the U.S. Department of War, which conducts negotiations, procurement and other purchasing procedures.
Maqedonci said that in recent years, particularly over the past three to four years, important weapons systems had been purchased. Some had been made public, while others had appeared during exercises or been mentioned in institutional announcements. He cited four types of antitank systems, various mortars for different ranges, several types of vehicles and mobile artillery systems.
According to the minister, capabilities are being adapted to current security conditions and needs. In cooperation with the KSF commander, the number and variety of weapons are being increased, and new units are being established. He singled out the special operations unit and the unmanned aerial vehicle unit, which were not included in the comprehensive transition plan but were created after an assessment of Kosovo’s situation and defense needs.
Maqedonci said the KSF would reach its required personnel levels two years ahead of schedule, while work was also underway to recruit the active reserve. He said the prime minister’s and government’s continued support had helped increase the types and quantities of weapons. He stressed that the aim was not to stockpile weapons and ammunition, but to meet Kosovo’s defense needs.
The comprehensive transition plan was approved by the Kosovo Assembly in 2018, but had been drawn up based on a 2014 risk assessment, when the threats were different, the minister said. He added that the plan contains classified elements that cannot be made public.
The minister said he expected the KSF to be prepared and ready to defend the country’s territory by 2028, but emphasized that military development would not stop that year. Kosovo’s government has approved a comprehensive defense program, and a long-term plan for developing capabilities is being drawn up. The goal, he said, is a professional army with the necessary equipment, supported by a civilian volunteer reserve and the involvement of institutions in the defense system.
Maqedonci added that citizens would be able to train and prepare to take on a role in this system without interrupting their day-to-day commitments. They would be called up when necessary, not only in the event of war but also to respond to crises and natural disasters.
The KSF is also recruiting 530 members, who are completing their training in Ferizaj, at the Doctrine and Training Command. This is part of efforts to reach the target of 5,000 active members set out in the transition plan, the minister said.
He recalled that during the previous government’s term, the Kosovo Army’s budget quadrupled and many military objectives were achieved ahead of schedule.
On security, Maqedonci described the situation in Kosovo as stable. He pointed to Kosovo Police special units’ operations against terrorist groups, the Kosovo Intelligence Agency’s work against Serbian espionage activities, the strengthening of the KSF and coordination with international partners. He said a peaceful and stable environment had been established over the past two to three years, an assessment he said NATO had also made. Maqedonci added that Kosovo was contributing not only to its own security but also to regional, European and global security.
The deployment of Serbian troops and bases near Kosovo is a concern for the country’s institutions, the minister said. He noted that Serbia has 48 forward operational army and gendarmerie bases along the border line, on Serbian territory and between 500 meters and 5 kilometers from Kosovo’s border.
Maqedonci said Kosovo had repeatedly raised this issue in talks with NATO and its partners. Even if the withdrawal of some units from certain bases had been reported, he said, this involved personnel movements and did not mean the bases themselves had been removed; personnel could return.
The minister said three of the Serbian Army’s four brigades were deployed in the south of the country and served as support for the operational bases. One brigade is in Raška, one in Niš and another in Vranje. This concentration, he said, is near the borders with Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia and is a cause for concern. He also cited Serbia’s acquisition of various weapons, including hypersonic missiles bought from China.
Maqedonci said Serbia’s militarization would be less concerning if, in his assessment, Belgrade’s policy toward its neighbors were not hegemonic and aggressive. He added that this did not frighten Kosovo, which is working with partners to build its military capabilities. The KSF and other security institutions, he said, were determined to defend the country’s territory and citizens’ lives against any threat.
The minister described Serbia’s approach to its neighbors as hybrid. He explained that it involves cooperation between traditional institutions and structures, such as the army, police and intelligence service, and unconventional actors, including criminal and terrorist groups, as well as the use of disinformation and other tools. In his view, this approach resembles the one the Russian Federation has used toward Ukraine and other countries in Eastern and Central Europe, and may indicate that Russia and Serbia coordinate and share experience.
Maqedonci said Kosovo had repeatedly raised with international partners its concerns about Serbia providing shelter to people involved in criminal activity and supporting groups that have operated in the region, particularly after the attack in Banjska. He alleged that these groups had aimed to annex part of northern Kosovo and had received support from the Serbian government and security institutions.
According to the minister, providing shelter to terrorist groups and people involved in criminal activity poses a risk to the Western Balkans and Europe, and keeps Serbia in the role of a source of regional instability. He said the policy of sheltering criminals was not new, citing Ratko Mladić as well as earlier reports that Radoičić and other people involved in criminal activity had been sheltered in Serbian state institutions.
The minister said statements by Serbian politicians of an ultranationalist nature were part of a long-standing pattern, but described Serbia’s state policy toward neighboring countries as the main issue. In his assessment, the aim of dominating the Balkans remains part of Serbian policy, while militarization, support for terrorist groups and activities by other Serbia-backed actors are ways of implementing this policy in the Western Balkans and beyond.
