Rotation at the helm of KFOR: What awaits Ulutaş's successor, General Barduani?

On October 11, a formal ceremony for the handover of duties at the helm of KFOR is scheduled to take place at the "Film City" base in Pristina. The current commander, Turkish General Özkan Ulutaş, will be replaced by Italian General Enrico Barduani in the new one-year rotation. Sources from Kosovo Online emphasize that no changes in the tasks and priorities of this mission should be expected. However, they also note that the Italian contingent has repeatedly shown determination in protecting the Serbian community and its most important religious and cultural sites since 1999.

Written by: Arsenije Vuckovic

The future KFOR commander was welcomed at the Pristina airport by the Italian Ambassador to Pristina, Antonello De Riu.

"This is the 14th time Italy has led the NATO mission, confirming our unwavering commitment to Kosovo's security," the Italian embassy said in a statement.

According to available biography, General Barduani served as the head of the Military Policy Service at Italy's Ministry of Defense and was a member of NATO's Training, Advisory, and Assistance Command in the "Resolute Support" operation in Afghanistan.

Until 2020, Barduani commanded one of Italy's elite units, the 132nd Armored Brigade "Ariete," which was part of the KFOR mission until February this year. He later held significant roles in the EU Military Committee (EUCM) in Brussels.

His predecessor, Turkish General Özkan Ulutaş, will be remembered for a new term he used to describe the situation in Kosovo.

"Overall, the situation on the ground is calm, but it remains fragile," he said in one of his last interviews.

The term "fragile" has become established in KFOR's terminology, along with the constant insistence on the formulation that this mission "continues to carry out its mandate based on UN Security Council Resolution 1244 to ensure security and safety for all people and communities in Kosovo."

It was known since the summer that the new KFOR commander would come from Italy. Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic, during talks with the Chief of the General Staff of the Italian Armed Forces, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, emphasized that the engagement of Italian KFOR soldiers is crucial for the protection of the Serbian population and for maintaining peace and stability in Kosovo.

He didn’t need to remind that, thanks to the Italian troops, the Patriarchate of Pec was saved from burning in 2003, and the exodus of Serbs from this part of Kosovo was prevented.

For this heroic act, in 2004, the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church awarded the Order of Saint Sava to the "Folgore Brigade," which belonged to the 183rd Regiment "Nembo."

"We must acknowledge that tensions between the Serbian and Albanian communities in Kosovo can flare up without warning and escalate into serious unrest. In theory, security should be ensured by the Kosovo police, EULEX - civilian and criminal justice, and the multinational military contingent of KFOR. In practice, it is very difficult to sufficiently predict in advance the locations and characteristics of protests and riots," said retired Italian Brigadier General Raffaele Iubini in January this year, who led the 183rd Paratrooper Regiment "Nembo" in 2003.

The Essence of the Mission

Military analyst Aleksandar Radic, speaking to Kosovo Online, assessed that although no changes in priorities should be expected, the appointment of General Enrico Barduani as the new KFOR commander is good news for Serbs in Kosovo because Italians have traditionally shown a high level of responsibility and have demonstrated this in several crisis situations in the past.

"For Serbs, the arrival of the Italians is good news because they have traditionally shown a high level of responsibility. There have been ups and downs, but a constant in Italian conduct has been their awareness of KFOR's mission. It has been evident in several incidents that they have tried to do their job as best as possible and protect civilians as well as some of the key symbols of Serbia's historical presence in Kosovo," Radic says.

He recalls that the protection of the Gracanica Monastery is closely tied to the presence of the Italian KFOR contingent, which is no coincidence.

Commenting on the one-year mandate of the outgoing KFOR commander Özkan Ulutaş, Radic says that he performed his duties in accordance with the mission’s mandate.

"There was no noticeable deviation or fundamental difference, even though there were concerns due to Turkey’s particular political influence on Kosovo, as well as its direct support for the Kosovo Security Forces (KSF), arming that formation, and providing large donations of military equipment: from automatic rifles and mortars to 'Bayraktar' drones. More or less, everything sophisticated in the KSF comes from Turkey. But the Turkish general, integrated into the NATO mission mechanism, did what was expected of him, carrying out regular tasks," Radic explains.

He adds that the same is expected from his successor.

"KFOR does not seek change. That is essentially the mission’s core. A stable and predictable situation in Kosovo. If you ask KFOR, every day should be the same. And I believe that this continuity is being reaffirmed. Italy has traditionally had a significant interest in the state of affairs in the former Yugoslavia. These roots run very deep. Moreover, they are the closest to this region and have always been present," Radic emphasizes.

It is no surprise that an Italian general is taking command of KFOR, and it’s worth noting that out of the 27 commanders who have served one-year terms, 13 have been from Italy.

"This will be the 14th Italian commander of KFOR. In fact, over the past 11 years, Italians have held the position except for two exceptions: General Cagliari from Hungary, who served the 21st and 22nd mandates, and the Turkish general who served the 23rd and 24th terms. To reinforce their presence and strengthen their commander’s role at the 'Film City' base in Pristina, Italy has increased the number of participants in the mission. According to current official data from NATO's Joint Command in Naples, which oversees KFOR operations, nearly a third of KFOR's total personnel—1,322 troops—are Italian," Radic elaborated.

He emphasized that other countries involved in the KFOR mission have not shown the same level of interest in its objectives, while the primary concern of major powers is the stability and political predictability of the Balkans.

"Italy has an interest and a responsibility, and this is actually the main assumption. Other powers have demonstrated, perhaps in a politically incorrect manner, that they do not share the same level of interest in KFOR. Essentially, major powers want Balkan stability and political predictability; they want to avoid incidents, especially since February 24, 2022. Since the war in the east began, all resources and attention have been directed there. Now, Gaza and Lebanon are diversifying the interest that major powers must show, and in this context, it is essential that the Balkans, Kosovo, and Metohija remain stable, so they do not demand additional resources and remain predictable," Radic stressed.

He noted that heightened tensions in the Balkans have produced a NATO strategy described as "flag showing"—the intent to display their presence in both Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).

"Tensions in the Balkans have increased interest in the situation, and I believe NATO's reactions, which are evident through direct activities of KFOR and EUFOR in BiH, demonstrate increased 'flag showing.' In recent weeks, reaction forces have held exercises because KFOR serves as a reserve for EUFOR, and EUFOR for KFOR. Both have exchanged units, displaying their equipment on the streets in Kosovo and BiH, with the aim of signaling that NATO is monitoring the situation and will act preventively if there are indications of deterioration," Radic concluded.

KFOR remains KFOR

Blerim Canaj, a professor of political history in Pristina, stated that despite the upcoming personnel changes, KFOR will not alter its strategy, and that the outgoing Turkish commander, General Özkan Ulutaş, performed his duties well.

"KFOR has its strategy, and the commander is there just to complete the job. We might see a difference in leadership style, but I don’t believe KFOR’s strategy will change. If a situation like the one in North Mitrovica arises, perhaps we’ll see more troops deployed, but I don’t believe there will be any changes in KFOR's overall strategy," Canaj told Kosovo Online.

He gave a positive assessment of the one-year performance of Turkish General Özkan Ulutaş, stating that he did his job well.

"He was good, especially if we look back at that particular case. We all know what KFOR does, and I think he completed his job excellently," Canaj remarked.

When asked to comment on the arrival of the Italian general, Canaj said it is neither good nor bad news.

"KFOR is KFOR. The arrival of an Italian at the helm is neither good nor bad news. It will be the same because it doesn’t matter whether the commander is Italian, Turkish, or American. KFOR has its own command and its own strategy, just like any other army," Canaj explained.

When asked to comment on the performance of this mission so far and whether citizens feel secure with KFOR's presence, the professor believes this has been evident throughout all parts of Kosovo, including the north.

"I have the feeling that it is so. Both here and in the north. What would happen here or there if KFOR weren’t present? We all know that there are extremist groups that, unfortunately, even after 30 years, still have certain dreams. That’s why I think it's important that KFOR remains here, not only for Albanians but also for Serbs and other people living in Kosovo. At the very least, there is a sense of security," Canaj concluded.

The Effect of Continuity

Aleksandar Gudzic, an analyst from Gracanica, believes that the change in KFOR leadership and the arrival of Italian General Enrico Barduani will not bring significant improvement for Serbs. However, Serbs remember and appreciate the Italian contingent’s efforts in protecting Serbian churches and monasteries, especially on March 17, 2004.

"I don’t believe it will bring any changes in the relationship between KFOR and the Serbs, or that it will spectacularly improve the situation for Serbs. KFOR is an institution that has maintained a consistent policy of continuity for 25 years, and I doubt that will change. The only difference now is that the KFOR commander is Italian. In the past, we’ve had positive experiences with Italian KFOR soldiers and officers. If it hadn’t been for the Italian KFOR, it’s likely that Decani would have suffered the same fate as the Church of the Holy Virgin of Ljevisa, the Archangels, and other churches and Serbian property during the March 17 pogrom. The very mention of an Italian general leading KFOR evokes positive memories among Serbs and their positive experiences with Italian KFOR soldiers," Gudzic told Kosovo Online.

He describes the one-year mandate of Turkish General Özkan Ulutaş with one word: continuity.

"It’s the result of continuity. There haven’t been any significant changes. It’s a policy that has continued from previous years. Essentially, he was an official who spent his time in Kosovo as the commander of KFOR."

When asked how the citizens of Kosovo view KFOR’s engagement and whether they feel safer because of it, he believes that within the Serbian community, there are mixed feelings.

"Let’s say they feel a sense of security, but there are also mixed emotions. There’s a feeling of betrayal and high expectations from KFOR. I’m speaking from the time of the war onward. At the beginning, Serbs had certain expectations from KFOR, that it was there to protect them, to bring peace, prosperity, and well-being. Not just KFOR, but the entire international community. Over the years, all of this has fallen through. It’s a case of unfulfilled expectations," Gudzic explains.