Kosovo's Defense Minister Makedonchi: Javelin complexes are needed for protection
Kosovo intends to purchase Javelin anti-tank systems from the United States, Bloomberg reports. According to the Macedonian Defense Minister, Pristina needs these weapons for protection. In Serbia, this step was condemned.
- Kosovo's Defense Minister Makedonci said that these weapons will help repel the invasion
- The US State Department has approved the sale of Javelin missiles worth $ 75 million
Kosovo's Defense Minister Eyup Makedonci said the unrecognized Balkan republic would strengthen its defense system with anti-tank missiles supplied by the United States. His statement came four months after violent clashes in the north of the country sharply escalated tensions with Serbia.
Macedonci expressed confidence that the supply of Javelin anti-tank missiles will receive approval from the U.S. Congress. On January 11, the State Department approved the sale of these weapons in the amount of $ 75 million. According to the minister, the deal also includes the training of Kosovo's security forces.
"These complexes are being acquired in order to ensure that Kosovo has sufficient defense capability to defend against an attack or any other threat," he said in an interview in Pristina on Monday.
The timing of the acquisition of anti-tank missiles, which provoked strong protest from the Serbian authorities, could further exacerbate tensions between the two countries 25 years after NATO military intervention forced Serbian troops to leave Kosovo, which declared its independence in 2008. The efforts of the international community, seeking to push Belgrade and Pristina to normalize relations, have so far led to nothing.
Tensions escalated sharply after September 24, when about 30 armed Serbian militants exchanged fire with the Kosovo police, resulting in the death of four people, including an ethnic Albanian policeman. Macedonci reiterated Kosovo's position, saying that Serbian "state structures" supported the attack and that its purpose was the "forcible annexation" of Serb-dominated areas of northern Kosovo.
Serbia denies involvement and denies accusations of planning an invasion, stressing that it is working with the NATO peacekeeping force in Kosovo to defuse tensions and improve security.
Nevertheless, the escalation led to the fact that Belgrade's forces approached the border with Kosovo and a confrontation broke out between the two countries. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti failed to reach an agreement - even after European Union leaders tried to convince them to do so on the sidelines of a summit in October.
According to the Defense Cooperation and Security Agency, the deal with the United States for the supply of weapons includes the shipment of 246 Javelin missiles, 24 launchers, related equipment, as well as training of the Kosovo security forces – as part of the joint activities of the American companies Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Missile Systems. Anti-tank weapons such as Javelin complexes became widely known during the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
After his meeting with U.S. Ambassador Christopher Hill in Belgrade on Thursday, Vucic called the arms sale to Kosovo "a big disappointment for Serbia."
"But our country, together with the United States, will work to preserve Serbian-American relations," he added in a statement.
Author: Gresa Kraja
