Following fatal fighting, NATO declared on Friday that it was prepared to expand its peacekeeping presence in Kosovo.
One of the most serious developments in the former breakaway province in recent years occurred on Sunday with the murder of a police officer in Kosovo and the subsequent gun fight at a monastery in a region near to the Serbian border.
According to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, he “authorized additional forces to address the current situation” on Thursday.
His statement lacked specifics, but the British defense ministry said that it had made a battalion of between 500 and 650 soldiers available to the KFOR mission.
According to the British ministry, the battalion recently landed in the area for long-planned training.
“We will always take all necessary actions to maintain a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for all people living in Kosovo,” Stoltenberg said.
In the north of Kosovo, where the Serb minority is concentrated, KFOR has decided to “increase its presence and activity”, added a NATO official who requested anonymity.
The official explained that KFOR had already increased its presence in Kosovo in May, deploying around 500 Turkish troops, who were subsequently replaced by Bulgarian and Greek soldiers.
In order for KFOR to carry out its peacekeeping duty, he continued, “further adjustments” might need to be made.
The White House requested Belgrade to withdraw its personnel from the Kosovo border on Friday after noticing a significant buildup of Serbian troops there.
