Savkovic: US withdrawal from KFOR unrealistic, many would not agree to a greater Turkish role in Kosovo

Senior advisor at the ISAC Fund, Marko Savkovic, stated that it is unrealistic for the US to withdraw its troops from KFOR and that many Quint countries, including those in the Western Balkans, would not agree to Turkey gaining greater influence in Kosovo.

"I assume that the Trump administration is hastily reviewing all defense expenditures. They have a new Secretary of Defense, who is also a rather interesting and different figure compared to the political leaders we have seen so far. What certainly burdens them is the enormous cost of troops stationed worldwide and military bases established everywhere… But the big question is whether Europe is at the center of Trump’s administration’s focus. To me, it doesn’t seem like it is. Regardless of all this debate and disputes over Greenland, the real focus is actually on another part of the world," Savkovic told Kosovo Online.

He sees the reassessment of the US military budget, including spending on global bases and troops, as a real threat, but he also emphasizes that such a move would have far-reaching consequences, especially for NATO.

"This is just one of the problems NATO has or will have with the US. If we recall, during his first term, Trump repeatedly threatened to pull America out of NATO. A US exit would mean the end of NATO, and the collapse of NATO would, in turn, lead to the dismantling of the security architecture in Europe that has existed for more than 70 years," Savkovic warned.

He considers the "Foreign Policy" claim that Kosovo is rapidly preparing for such a scenario by strengthening ties with Turkey to be mere speculation.

As he says, it is also unclear how not only the remaining Quint members but also the Western Balkan countries would react.

"Could Turkey replace the US? Certainly not. Turkey is a regional power, it is important, but many actors would have to agree to such an arrangement. Other Quint members would also have to consent, and we don’t know how they would view it. This is a highly hypothetical scenario. In the end, I’m not even sure that all Western Balkan countries would look favorably upon it," Savkovic asserted.

He emphasizes that the end of KFOR’s mandate would mean destabilization for both Kosovo and the region.

"Any situation in which KFOR ceases to fulfill its UN-mandated mission would result in destabilization. For me, there is no doubt about that because KFOR remains the ultimate crisis response force that both Serbs and Albanians turn to. Moreover, replacing the military assets the US provides with those of another country would be extremely difficult," Savkovic pointed out.