The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has announced that it will “optimize” its presence and gradually reduce the number of troops serving in the KFOR mission in Kosovo.

The decision to decrease troop numbers over the coming year follows the continued improvement of the security situation in Kosovo in recent years.

NATO had already halted the deployment of reserve forces in January this year. These forces had been serving on a continuous rotational basis within KFOR for more than two years.

“The current conditions provide an opportunity to optimize the size and positioning of KFOR,” NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, U.S. General Alexus G. Grynkewich, said in a statement issued on June 12, 2026.

“NATO and KFOR remain fully committed to security in Kosovo. It is precisely because of this commitment that the security situation in Kosovo has improved, as Kosovo’s security institutions have strengthened their capabilities,” Grynkewich added.

The Western military alliance stated that troop adjustments will be carried out in line with developments on the ground, emphasizing that the decision can be reversed immediately should security conditions deteriorate or change.

The development comes on the 27th anniversary of Kosovo’s liberation, marking nearly three decades since 1999, when, following 78 days of air strikes against Serbian targets, allied forces led by the United States entered Kosovo.