US approves $75Mln sale of Javelin ATGMs to Kosovo
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The total value of the sale, including related equipment, is $75 million.
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US Soldiers of Infantry Airborne from Rhode Island and Texas National Guard serving in KFOR peacekeeping mission in Kosovo patrol the area near the Kosovo Serbia border near the village of Belloberde in northern Kosovo on Friday, Dec.22, 2024 (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
The US announced on Thursday its intention to sell anti-tank missiles to Kosovo, reinforcing the defense capabilities of the breakaway region despite improving relations with Serbia.
The State Department granted approval for Kosovo's request to acquire 246 Javelin missiles, a pivotal NATO-supplied weapon initially provided to Ukraine for countering armored vehicles used by Russian forces.
The total value of the sale, including related equipment, is $75 million.
The deal "will improve Kosovo's long-term defense capacity to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity to meet its national defense requirements," a State Department statement said.
While Congress retains the authority to block the sale, it is deemed unlikely to do so.
Read more: Vucic says Belgrade 'must adhere to the truth' despite US warning
This announcement follows Kosovo's recent decision to allow vehicles with Serbian license plates displaying national symbols, mirroring actions taken by Serbia and resolving a prolonged dispute.
Tensions escalated last year when Kosovo installed mayors in ethnically Serb northern areas, leading to widespread election boycotts and subsequent violent protests.
NATO increased personnel deployment, and the US briefly accused Serbia of a troop buildup.
Kosovo, with a population of 1.8 million including 120,000 Serbs, declared independence from Serbia in 2008, a move not recognized by Belgrade.
Despite historical support for Kosovo, the US has recently expressed frustration with the stance of Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti.
Read more: Vucic says Serbia has no interest in Kosovo escalation
In October 2023, Vucic said in an interview with CNN that Belgrade has demanded an increased presence of the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) in Kosovo.
"We do not need any kind of wars, any kind of clashes with NATO. On the contrary, we want to see — and I am reiterating this — a bigger presence of KFOR in Kosovo, particularly in the north. That would be, we hope, one of the ways to support the Serbian people's safety and security, particularly in northern Kosovo," Vucic said.
He stressed that Serbia is the last country that needs negative developments to take place in Kosovo.
