By Catherine Day, Spring 2026 Marcellus Policy Fellow

U.S. military involvement in Kosovo began in 1999 with NATO’s bombing campaign to end the war in Kosovo. Since that time, the United States has contributed to the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR), which was established to deter renewed hostilities and stabilize the country. After more than two decades, these objectives have largely been achieved. Although the U.S. military presence in Kosovo was originally intended as a short-term stabilization measure, 600 U.S. troops remain deployed there today. This ongoing security commitment does not align with U.S. national security interests. Continued U.S. presence may perpetuate the political stalemate between Kosovo and Serbia, as Kosovo relies on U.S. security guarantees and engages in destabilizing actions without an incentive to negotiate. Such commitments risk entangling the United States in conflicts peripheral to its core interests.

The United States must plan for a phased withdrawal of the majority of U.S. troops from Kosovo, with European allies assuming primary security responsibility. European members of the KFOR coalition possess the capacity to lead the mission and should assume responsibility for security matters within Europe. As both Kosovo and Serbia are formally on the path to EU membership, an EU-led peacekeeping mission would signal the EU’s commitment to regional stability and the integration of the Western Balkans.

A phased withdrawal from Kosovo aligns with an American reorientation of strategic resources to higher-priority theatres. This policy recommendation is particularly timely given ongoing U.S. discussions in 2026 to scale back peripheral NATO missions and focus on core threats. Without an exit plan, continued U.S. involvement in KFOR weakens incentives for burden-sharing with European allies. Since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Europe has increased its defense spending and reinforced its military capacity. The United States should capitalize on this momentum by transferring responsibility for European security missions, such as Kosovo, to our European allies.