The KFOR commander, Ozkan Ulutas, says that they have quadrupled the number of troops in the north after the Serbian aggression of September 24 in Banjska of Zveçan, where police sergeant Afrim Bunjaku was killed.

In an interview for KosovaPress, Ulutas assesses the situation in the north of the country as calm, but emphasizes that it continues to be fragile.

He appreciates the close cooperation with the Kosova Police and EULEX, while he says that KFOR continues to operate as the third security responder.

"We will continue our efforts to prevent any escalation and are ready to respond to any challenge, by adjusting our posture as required and by continuing to cooperate closely with the Kosovo Police and EULEX", he says in a written interview for KosovaPress.

Full interview with KFOR commander, Ozkan Ulutas:

What can you tell us about the situation in Kosovo after the September 24 aggression in Banjska of Zveçan?

Overall, the situation on the ground is calm, but fragile. We are closely following any relevant security developments. Following a rise of tensions in the past months, NATO has deployed 1,000 additional troops and heavier armour. We have quadrupled KFOR’s presence in northern Kosovo and tripled the number of patrols, including along the Administrative Boundary Line. These are prudent steps to ensure that the KFOR mission has the necessary resources. We have an agile and flexible posture across Kosovo that allows us to respond to any scenario, in full respect of our UN mandate. KFOR is focused on the implementation of its UN mandate – based on UN Security Council Resolution 1244 of 1999 – to ensure a safe and secure environment for all people living in Kosovo and freedom of movement, at all times and impartially.

Is KFOR ready to respond to any threat from outside?

NATO has deployed additional reserve forces with additional capabilities to Kosovo, following the recent tensions, in order to fulfill its UN mandate, and to deter any further actions. Our mission’s strength is currently of around 5,000 troops, with contributions from 27 countries, including NATO Allies and partners. KFOR’s mandate is clear, based on the UN Security Council Resolution 1244 of 1999: to ensure a safe and secure environment for all people living in Kosovo, and freedom of movement.

KFOR continues to operate as the third security responder, after the Kosovo Police and the EU Rule of Law Mission (EULEX), respectively, with whom we cooperate closely.

Recently, the heads of state have warned that "Serbia is preparing for new attacks". Such warnings were also made by the British MP, Alicia Kearns, about the arming of Serbs in Kosovo through monasteries. Are there other cases? Do you have such information? How do you see the deployment of additional troops of Serbia near the border with Kosovo?

I will not speculate on any future scenario.

We will continue our efforts to prevent any escalation and are ready to respond to any challenge, by adjusting our posture as required and by continuing to cooperate closely with the Kosovo Police and EULEX.

Our main focus is on the implementation of our UN mandate to ensure a safe and secure environment for all people in Kosovo; at all times and impartially.

Can you tell us more about the cooperation with KSF?

KFOR communicates regularly and transparently with all international and local stakeholders and continuously evaluates the security situation in Kosovo.

We are in close contact with the Institutions in Kosovo and the Kosovo security organisations, as well as the Serbian Chief of Defence. This is important to avoid misunderstandings, especially in times of crisis and when tensions are high.

As clearly stated by the NATO Secretary General during his recent visit to Pristina, “any deployment of the Kosovo Security Force to northern Kosovo requires the concurrence of KFOR.” The NATO Secretary General also highlighted that “We expect timely consultations on any action of the Kosovo Security Force or Kosovo Police that could impact regional security.” I count on all of my counterparts to continue our regular cooperation on these important matters.

NATO is considering the long-term increase of the peacekeeping contingent in Kosovo. What can you tell us about that, how long will this take?

For over two decades, KFOR has maintained a safe and secure environment for all people in Kosovo and freedom of movement, in accordance with our UN mandate. Decades of hard-won peace must not be jeopardised. NATO’s commitment to KFOR remains strong today.

This was reaffirmed loudly and clearly by NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, during his recent trip in November to Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and North Macedonia. That trip was in fact another concrete demonstration of NATO’s steadfast commitment to stability in the region.

KFOR has repeatedly proven that it is able to adapt to different challenges and changes in our operational environment, thanks to a flexible, agile and visible posture across Kosovo. Our mission has always been conditions based and not calendar-driven, which means that any changes in terms of numbers of personnel or KFOR posture will be based on an evaluation of the conditions on the ground followed by a decision by the North Atlantic Council, NATO’s decision-making body. /N. Jakupi/