Kosovo’s membership in NATO should remain a non-negotiable strategic objective, despite U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirming before Congress that the issue is currently not on the agenda of NATO member states.

Security experts, including former military officials, told KosovaPress that although the path toward NATO remains challenging due to the non-recognition of Kosovo by several member states and broader global challenges, membership in the Alliance is not unattainable.

Former Kosovo military attaché to the United States, Xhavit Gashi, said that the very fact that Kosovo’s NATO membership is being discussed at high levels in the United States is a positive development for the country’s Euro-Atlantic future.

According to Gashi, Rubio’s statement does not make Kosovo’s membership in the world’s most powerful military alliance impossible. Rather, shifting geopolitical developments have led to changes in international priorities.

“There are many positive aspects. First, it is encouraging that Kosovo’s NATO membership is a topic of discussion at high levels in the United States. The visit by the delegation of American congressmen to Kosovo was also very important, and the question came directly from members of that delegation. Another positive aspect is that Kosovo has not been excluded from the discussion. At this moment, considering everything happening around the world, priorities shift and discussions often reflect those changes. However, this does not mean Kosovo will never become part of NATO. We have many elements that bring us closer to membership, and there are ongoing discussions showing that Kosovo is close. The four NATO member states that do not recognize Kosovo make the process more difficult, but they do not make it impossible,” he said.

The first Kosovo military attaché to the United States stressed that no immediate timeline can be set for NATO membership, but expressed optimism that the process is not far off.

According to him, Kosovo should continue to act and contribute as if it were already a member of the Alliance by adhering to NATO standards and practices.

Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS), Mentor Vrajolli, commenting on Rubio’s remarks, said that NATO is currently facing numerous global challenges, while the United States and its allies are focused on other international crises, making it more difficult to maintain continuous attention on Kosovo-related issues.

The security expert said that Kosovo’s institutions should continuously strengthen bilateral relations with influential NATO member states in order to increase pressure on countries that have not yet recognized Kosovo.

The issue was raised during a hearing in the U.S. Congress with Secretary Rubio, where Republican Congressman Keith Self asked him to support Kosovo’s NATO membership. Self, together with Democratic Congressman Suhas Subramanyam, visited Kosovo at the end of May, where they met with Acting President Albulena Haxhiu and Acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti.