Kosovo’s defense minister asked the United States on Sunday to place a permanent military base in the country as Russian aggression continues to accelerate in Ukraine.
Armend Mehaj, Kosovo’s defense minister, additionally asked NATO to accelerate Kosovo’s membership in the organization after the country publicly condemned Russia’s attack and pledged to provide military troops to Ukraine if requested.
“Accelerating Kosovo’s membership in NATO and having a permanent base of American forces is an immediate need to guarantee peace, security and stability in the Western Balkans,” Mehaj said on his Facebook page, according to Reuters.
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Kosovo joined other European nations in placing sanctions on Russia for its aggressive invasion of Ukraine, which has led to security concerns for Kosovo.
The U.S. already keeps a rotating 635 soldiers in Kosovo as part of a peacekeeping operation that began in the 1990s. Kosovo declared itself an independent country from Serbia in 2008. 110 countries acknowledge Kosovo as an independent country. However, Russia and its Balkan ally Serbia do not. Greece, Cyprus, Spain, Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Ukraine also do not acknowledge Kosovo’s independence.
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Kosovo’s request comes nearly a month after Lithuania indicated it would like permanent American forces in the country ahead of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The U.S. already stations 500 troops in Lithuania.
