Radic: The story of Bondsteel – a Serbian national myth, Americans have been considering leaving Kosovo for a long time

Military analyst Aleksandar Radic stated that the US has been considering the possibility of withdrawing its forces from KFOR for quite some time, and that Turkey's increased engagement should be interpreted as an effort to make Kosovo a strategic point in the Western Balkans.

"The Americans showed a lack of desire to stay in Kosovo long ago, even before the first decade of the 21st century. The Serbian national myth revolves around Bondsteel, about 100 years of American control, and secret interests at play. In reality, the discussion in Washington about leaving Kosovo has been open for a long time because it is not their problem. They remained due to the turbulent situation, but the fact is that the US sends only the National Guard – essentially, a Territorial Defense force – to this mission, which speaks volumes about how they perceive the Kosovo issue. What matters to them is that their flag is present there. Yes, the US military is present, but these are not front-line units; they are there merely to showcase power and political authority," Radic told Kosovo Online.

He is convinced that Trump, with his pragmatic approach, could make this idea a reality.

"Trump’s pragmatic stance could easily lead him to ask, ‘Why are we keeping a battalion in Bondsteel, and what are they actually doing there? Is this a European problem? Yes. Is Europe worried about instability in the Balkans? Yes. Then let the Europeans deal with it,’" Radic believes.

According to him, it has long been evident that the countries most interested in participating in the KFOR mission are those geographically close to Kosovo.

However, he emphasizes that Turkey should not be included in this group, as it has entirely different motives.

"The Turkish factor is something else. Turkey wants to project its power in the Balkans. They seek political influence and have cooperation programs primarily with the Kosovo Security Forces. They also cooperate with the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which consist of three constituent peoples, but it is regularly evident that Ankara sees this differently," Radic said.

Regarding Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkish interests are a mix of pragmatism – selling weapons and military equipment for profit – and the desire to achieve political influence.

"However, their approach to Pristina is different. In addition to commercial contracts, Turkey has genuinely tried to donate certain types of weaponry that other NATO members do not want the Kosovo Security Forces to possess. KFOR's position remains that the original law governing the KSF, not the 2018 version, is in effect, meaning they can only have light weapons and are not allowed to possess offensive capabilities. But the gray area between the definition of light arms and more serious military equipment in the hands of troops following Pristina’s orders is being filled with Turkish technology," Radic explained.

He also believes it is a mistake to link Trump's potential decisions to Turkey's strategic goals.

"The 120mm mortars arrived in Kosovo at a time when it was completely uncertain who would be the next US president after Biden. This is a case of misrepresenting the facts – since Trump is a key issue for the West, everything is now being linked to that scenario. I think Turkey has a clearly defined strategic policy for its presence in the Balkans, with a focus on Kosovo, and that supplying arms is part of that policy," the military analyst concluded.