Radic: The arrival of an Italian as KFOR commander is good news for Serbs

Military analyst Aleksandar Radic states 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 degree of responsibility, which they have demonstrated in several crisis situations in the past.

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

He reminds that the protection of the Gracanica Monastery is no coincidence and is closely tied to the presence of the Italian KFOR contingent.

Commenting on the one-year mandate of the previous KFOR commander Ozkan Ulutas, Radic notes that he fulfilled tasks in line with the mission's mandate.

"No significant deviation or essential difference is noticeable, despite concerns about Turkey's political influence on Kosovo and its direct support for the Kosovo Security Forces, including arming them and providing substantial 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, fulfilling his regular duties," Radic says.

He adds that the same is expected from his successor.

"KFOR does not want changes. That is essentially the mission's goal: stable and predictable conditions in Kosovo. If you ask KFOR, every day should be the same. And I think continuity is confirmed here. Italy has traditionally had a significant interest in the state of the former Yugoslav region. There are deep historical roots for this. 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, Radic notes, reminding that out of the 27 commanders who have served one-year terms so far, 13 have been from Italy.

"This is the 14th Italian to hold the position of KFOR commander. In the last 11 years, with two exceptions – General Cagliari from Hungary (2021–2022) and the Turkish general (2023–2024) – Italians have always been in command. To strengthen their presence and the position of their commander in Film City base in Pristina, Italy has increased its mission participants to the point where almost a third of KFOR personnel are now Italian, with 1,322 soldiers, according to the latest official data from NATO’s Joint Command in Naples, which oversees the KFOR operation," Radic clarifies.

He warns that other countries participating in the KFOR mission have not shown the same level of interest in the mission's objectives, while the essential interest of major powers is the stability and political predictability of the Balkans.

"Italy has an interest and responsibility, which is the main assumption. Other powers have demonstrated, in a way that may not be politically correct, that they do not share the same level of interest in KFOR. The major powers primarily seek Balkan stability and political predictability, aiming to avoid incidents, especially since February 24, 2022. Since the war began in the East, all attention resources have been directed there. Then, Gaza and now Lebanon have diversified the interest that major powers must show, and in this context, it is crucial for the Balkans, Kosovo, and Metohija to remain stable so that no additional resources are required, making it predictable," Radic believes.

He emphasizes that the heightened tensions in the Balkans have led to a NATO strategy described as "flag-showing" – a demonstration of their presence both in Kosovo and in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"Tensions in the Balkans have increased interest in the situation, and I think NATO's reactions, visible through the direct activities of KFOR and EUFOR in Bosnia, reflect this increased presence. Exercises have been organized in recent weeks with reaction forces, as KFOR is the reserve for EUFOR and vice versa. Both have exchanged units, displaying armored vehicles on the streets in Kosovo and Bosnia. The aim is to send the message that NATO is monitoring the situation and will act preventively if they detect signs indicating a worsening situation," Radic concludes.