Kosovo’s intention to build an army met with warnings from Western allies

Kosovo's President submitted in early March 2017 a draft bill to establish a regular army for the country by changing the laws on the Kosovo Security Force (KSF). The initial plan would avoid amending the constitution, therefore circumventing a potential veto by Kosovo's ethnic Serb minority.

The initiative was met with strong opposition from the country's Western allies, including NATO and the United States. It was also opposed by Serbia, saying that an army 'would jeopardise the survival of Serbs' in Kosovo.

The President later decided to give up on the plans for a rapid transformation on the nation's defence force into an army, moving towards endorsing the process of a constitutional amendment.

• Primary Source

Wikipedia: Kosovo Security Force https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosovo_Security_Force

B92, 30.03.17: US official to Pristina: Take law on army off the table http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics.php?yyyy=2017&mm=03&dd=30&nav_id=100899

B92, 24.03.17: 'Kosovo is state without army, while Russia's arming Serbia' http://www.b92.net/eng/news/world.php?yyyy=2017&mm=03&dd=24&nav_id=100850

Politico, 08.03.17: NATO urges Kosovo to ditch plan to create army http://www.politico.eu/article/nato-urges-kosovo-to-ditch-plan-to-create-army/

Balkan Insight, 08.03.17: NATO Chief Rebukes Thaci Over Kosovo Army Plan http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/kosovo-army-bill-angers-nato-us-serbia-03-08-2017

Balkan Insight, 11.03.17: Thaci Threatens to Quit if Kosovo Army Bill Fails http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/thaci-ready-to-resign-if-kosovo-army-bill-fails-03-10-2017

Sputnik International, 10.03.17: Kosovo is Being Assisted in Creating a National Army: By Whom and Why? http://sptnkne.ws/dKzm

Western European Balkans, 07.03.17: Thaçi handed over to President of Assembly, Veseli Draft Law on Army of Kosovo https://europeanwesternbalkans.com/2017/03/07/thaci-handed-over-to-the-president-of-the-assembly-veseli-the-draft-law-on-the-army-of-kosovo/

Politico, 04.04.17: Kosovo leader’s military maneuvers http://www.politico.eu/article/hashim-thaci-kosovo-leaders-military-maneuvers/

Blog: LSE EuroppBlog, 12.04.17: Kadri Veseli: 'Kosovo needs an army – we are worried about increasing Russian influence, the rise of extremism and Serbian provocations' http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2017/04/12/kadri-veseli-kosovo-needs-an-army/

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