Kosovo

List of Kosovo articles

peacekeeper plas soccer with children in east timor
peacekeeper plas soccer with children in east timor

Why Gaza Won’t End Up Like East Timor or Kosovo

History shows that international administration without a political endgame always fails.

Italian soldiers serving in a NATO-led international peacekeeping mission in Kosovo (KFOR) patrol near a road barricade set up in the divided town of Mitrovica on Dec. 29, 2022.
Italian soldiers serving in a NATO-led international peacekeeping mission in Kosovo (KFOR) patrol near a road barricade set up in the divided town of Mitrovica on Dec. 29, 2022.

The EU Has Failed in Serbia and Kosovo

As violence flares, Washington has shown it has influence, while Brussels’s policies have shown weakness.

A blond child of about 3 or 4 years old stands on the bar of a metal fence, surrounded by other people perched on the fence as they watch a parade. The child is smiling and holds a small flag of Kosovo, which shows the silhouette of the country against a blue background.
A blond child of about 3 or 4 years old stands on the bar of a metal fence, surrounded by other people perched on the fence as they watch a parade. The child is smiling and holds a small flag of Kosovo, which shows the silhouette of the country against a blue background.

Kosovo and Taiwan Eye an Alliance of Outsiders

Both nations are championed by Washington but under threat from revanchism.

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti (center) and Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani (right) attend the opening ceremony of the Defender 2023 military exercise in Pristina, Kosovo, on May 21.
Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti (center) and Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani (right) attend the opening ceremony of the Defender 2023 military exercise in Pristina, Kosovo, on May 21.

The U.S. Should Stand With Kosovo

Washington’s desire for Balkan stability has overtaken its support for democracy, the rule of law, and anti-corruption.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, and others at the State Department in Washington.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, and others at the State Department in Washington.

The United States Is Creating a Kosovo Crisis

Here’s how to escape it—before it’s too late.

Protesters wave Serbian national flags as they take part in the fifth "Serbia against violence" rally in Belgrade.
Protesters wave Serbian national flags as they take part in the fifth "Serbia against violence" rally in Belgrade.

How 2 Mass Shootings Put Serbia’s Populist President Under Pressure

A new protest movement in the Balkan country is squeezing Aleksandar Vucic domestically—all while tensions in Kosovo flare and put Serbia in the international spotlight.

Escobar and Vucic sit in chairs side by side facing each other flanked by the flags of their respective countries.
Escobar and Vucic sit in chairs side by side facing each other flanked by the flags of their respective countries.

How Biden Lost the Balkans

The United States has deepened its commitments to Serbia’s near-autocratic president and reoriented its regional posture to center Belgrade’s foreign-policy priorities.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic addresses the media after holding meetings as part of Kosovo-Serbia talks, in Ohrid on March 18, 2023.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic addresses the media after holding meetings as part of Kosovo-Serbia talks, in Ohrid on March 18, 2023.

Kosovo Has a Deal—if the West Can Save It

A historic agreement in the Balkans still needs intervention by the United States and Europe.

Putin mural in Serbia
Putin mural in Serbia

Russia’s Failed War Has Created an Opening in the Balkans

The West should remind Serbia not to hitch its wagon to a diminished Russia.

A woman passes a mural supporting the Russian Federation in Mitrovica, Kosovo.
A woman passes a mural supporting the Russian Federation in Mitrovica, Kosovo.

In Northern Kosovo, Tensions Threaten to Boil Over

The Kosovo government’s laws on ID cards and license plates have enraged ethnic Serbs and heightened tensions between the young nation’s fractured communities.

A pedestrian walks past a partly vandalized mural depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Belgrade, Serbia, on June 2.
A pedestrian walks past a partly vandalized mural depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Belgrade, Serbia, on June 2.

Serbia Is Playing With Matches Again

Brinkmanship over Kosovo, footsie with Moscow, and friction with Brussels are par for the course for Belgrade.

The memorial called “Heroines,” dedicated to Kosovar Albanian women wartime rape survivors, is seen in Pristina, Kosovo, on May 4, 2021.
The memorial called “Heroines,” dedicated to Kosovar Albanian women wartime rape survivors, is seen in Pristina, Kosovo, on May 4, 2021.

We Need a Better Way to Prosecute Sexual Assault in Conflict

Though rape is one of the most commonly perpetrated war crimes, it is rarely considered by international courts.

Serb residents hold a poster portraiting Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin during a ceremony marking a historic battle  at  Gazimestan, near Pristina on June 28, 2009. The ceremony marked the anniversary of the 1389 Battle of Kosovo, where the Serbian army was defeated by the Ottoman Empire.
Serb residents hold a poster portraiting Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin during a ceremony marking a historic battle at Gazimestan, near Pristina on June 28, 2009. The ceremony marked the anniversary of the 1389 Battle of Kosovo, where the Serbian army was defeated by the Ottoman Empire.

Why Putin Keeps Talking About Kosovo

For the Kremlin, NATO’s 1999 war against Serbia is the West’s original sin—and a humiliating affront that Russia must avenge.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is pictured at a meeting in Novo-Ogarevo, Russia on Aug. 7, 2007.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is pictured at a meeting in Novo-Ogarevo, Russia on Aug. 7, 2007.

When Recognition Is Reckless

Russia is not the only country irresponsibly offering diplomatic stamps of approval.

Shkumbin Gashi hangs a poster reading 'Congratulations Mr. President' at his bar in Rahovec, Kosovo on Nov. 6.
Shkumbin Gashi hangs a poster reading 'Congratulations Mr. President' at his bar in Rahovec, Kosovo on Nov. 6.

Biden in the Balkans

Fixing Trump’s mistakes in the region will be easy. Avoiding Obama’s will be much harder.

Kosovar Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti speaks with an aide after signing an agreement on opening economic relations with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in the White House on Sept. 4.
Kosovar Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti speaks with an aide after signing an agreement on opening economic relations with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in the White House on Sept. 4.

Our Top Weekend Reads

An interview with Kosovo’s prime minister, how Myanmar can avoid a public health disaster in the conflict-torn state of Rakhine, and the case for reassessing Voltaire’s legacy.

Prime Minister of Kosovo Avdullah Hoti
Prime Minister of Kosovo Avdullah Hoti

Kosovo PM: ‘There Is No Other Solution Than Mutual Recognition’

As two days of talks between Serbia and Kosovo begin at the White House, Kosovo’s prime minister says Serbia’s got to finally recognize his country—or risk both their futures in the EU.

A picture taken on Jan. 25, 2017 shows a mural, vandalized with paint, depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump and bearing the Cyrillic letters reading "Kosovo is Serbia," in Belgrade.
A picture taken on Jan. 25, 2017 shows a mural, vandalized with paint, depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump and bearing the Cyrillic letters reading "Kosovo is Serbia," in Belgrade.

Trump Has a Fix for Kosovo. He’s Ignoring It.

The White House is hosting another summit on the Balkans—while failing to apply its most promising model for solving the conflict.

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