By “Albanians for America”
Kosovo’s membership in NATO, in addition to being a state priority, is a necessity and a guarantee of stability not only for Kosovo, but also for the Region.
Security developments in Europe and the increased opportunities to deal with complicated security situations make it necessary to accelerate this process rather than delay it. The sooner Kosovo is in NATO, the more secure the Western Balkans will be.
Serbia’s continued efforts to destabilize Kosovo have sufficiently demonstrated the urgency of Kosovo’s NATO membership.
The terrorist attack of September 24, 2023 in Banjska remains the most typical example of this risk. An organized and heavily armed group attacked the Kosovo Police, killing Sergeant Afrim Bunjaku. Furthermore, the main terrorist, Milan Radojčić, continues to be at large in Serbia, while three other attackers have been sentenced to life imprisonment. The refusal of the Serbian authorities to hand him over to the Kosovo justice authorities and the other persons involved is a worrying message for the entire Region.
As if this act were not enough, in November 2024, another terrorist act was committed against critical infrastructure, namely the Ibër-Lepenc canal was severely damaged.
Precisely for this reason, Kosovo’s membership in NATO should be seen as a preventive instrument, not as a source of tension.
In this context, on April 30, 2026, Republican Congressman Keith Self, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Europe in the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the United States House of Representatives, together with Congressmen Ritchie Torres and Mike Lawler, introduced Resolution H.Res.1246, which expresses clear support for Kosovo’s integration into NATO and calls on the Alliance member countries that have not yet recognized Kosovo to reconsider their positions.
This resolution represents a strategic assessment of recent developments in Europe, a warning about the emerging dangers in the Western Balkans, and a clear idea of how Euro-Atlantic security can be strengthened in a delicate period of international security.
Therefore, Kosovo’s membership in NATO is not only in the interest of Kosovo, but also of NATO itself, of Regional stability and of European security. In today’s geopolitical reality, Kosovo’s non-membership poses a greater risk than its membership.
Of all the debates taking place today about Euro-Atlantic security, Kosovo’s membership in NATO is a clear issue.
For more than two decades, Kosovo has proven to be a success story of NATO and United States strategic investment. NATO’s intervention in 1999 averted a humanitarian catastrophe and created the conditions for building a democratic and pro-Western state.
Today, Kosovo is among the countries with the highest support for NATO and the United States globally.
The Euro-Atlantic orientation is part of the identity of Kosovar society, so Congressman Self’s Resolution is in full harmony with this reality.
This Resolution comes at the right time in relation to developments on the European continent, as the Western Balkans remains one of the Regions most exposed to destabilizing efforts.
In this context, Serbia continues to pose a risk factor for Regional stability. Although formally aspiring to membership in the European Union, Belgrade continues to refuse to harmonise with the EU’s foreign and security policy, by not imposing sanctions on Russia and by maintaining close political, economic and military relations with Moscow and Beijing.
In parallel, Serbia has invested billions of euros in modernizing and expanding its military capabilities. In recent years, it has purchased advanced weapons systems from Russia, China, France and other countries, creating the largest military potential in the Western Balkans. Serbia has consistently accompanied the strengthening of its defense capabilities with nationalist rhetoric, denial of political reality and ongoing efforts at destabilization.
In such a situation, the reversal of Serbia’s continued efforts to violate the integrity and sovereignty of Kosovo, with a tendency to destabilize the Balkans, can only be prevented when NATO opens the door to Kosovo.
The history of the Alliance proves that NATO prevents conflicts. Countries that become part of the collective defense mechanism, under Article 5, will be part of a system that guarantees long-term stability.
Thus, Kosovo in NATO would avoid any attempts by Serbia or other factors to destabilize Kosovo and the Region. By reducing the possibility that northern Kosovo remains a potential hotbed of escalation, it would at the same time convey a strong and clear message that Kosovo’s borders, integrity and sovereignty are inviolable.
Kosovo’s membership in NATO would strengthen the North Atlantic Alliance itself. One more partner, more security. Kosovo has taken concrete steps towards meeting the standards that provide it with the strongest military alliance in the world.
The Kosovo Security Force is being transformed according to Alliance standards and its institutions cooperate closely with Western partners. Unlike many other countries that seek rapprochement with NATO for pragmatic reasons, Kosovo sees the Alliance as part of its strategic identity.
One of the strongest arguments in favor of Kosovo’s NATO membership is the extraordinary transformation of the Kosovo Security Force over the past few years. In line with the ten-year Comprehensive Transition Plan, the KSF has transitioned from a force with a primarily civilian mandate to a modern defense force, organized and trained according to the standards of the North Atlantic Alliance.
Investments in the defense sector have increased significantly, while Kosovo has taken concrete steps to modernize its military capabilities. In close cooperation with the United States and other Western allies, the KSF has been equipped with modern tactical mobility systems, armored vehicles, advanced communication systems, and other equipment that increase the country’s operational readiness and defense capability.
Particularly important has been the partnership with the United States, which has played a key role in the training, professionalization and capacity building of the KSF. Joint training programs, military education in American academies, as well as ongoing cooperation with the Iowa National Guard have contributed to the creation of a force that today operates according to NATO doctrines and procedures.
The KSF has also gained experience from participating in international peacekeeping operations such as the one in Gaza, which resulted from Kosovo’s membership in the Peace Board at the invitation of US President Donald Trump.
In this sense, with NATO membership, Kosovo would not only be a beneficiary of collective security, but also a contributor to it.
Therefore, Congressman Keith Self’s proposal deserves serious attention in Washington, Brussels, and the capitals of NATO member countries.
It accurately presents the necessity of Kosovo’s membership in NATO, taking into account today’s security architecture and considering the fact that gray areas of security do not produce stability, but insecurity.
Kosovo is not asking for a favor, but only its deserved place in the Euro-Atlantic family, because Kosovo belongs to NATO.
NATO must not allow one of its most reliable partners, in one of the most sensitive Regions of Europe, to remain outside the Alliance.
(“Albanians for America” is a US-based Albanian-American diaspora organization that engages in political lobbying and advocacy for Albanian issues in the United States. Essentially, it works to strengthen US-Albania and US-Kosovo relations, aims to build bipartisan support in the US Congress, and lobbies on issues such as Kosovo, security in the Balkans, and the rights of Albanians in the Region)