The United States announced the upcoming sale of anti-tank missiles to Kosovo to protect the integrity of the Balkan territory. Washington has accepted a request from Kosovo to purchase 246 Javelin missiles. This was reported by the Pentagon's Security Cooperation Agency, UNN reports.
Details
It is noted that, taking into account the materials associated with these missiles, the sale is worth $75 million. This agreement will improve Kosovo's long-term ability to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The Agency noted that the proposed agreement will improve Kosovo's long-term defense capability to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity and meet national defense needs, and will support the foreign policy goals and national security of the United States by improving the security of its European partner.
The sale of the Javelin to Kosovo will not change the basic military balance of power in the region and will not affect the US defense readiness.
Context
Relations between Kosovo and Serbia have lurched from crisis to crisis since the war between Serbian forces and Albanian independence rebels that ended in 1999 with NATO's intervention against Belgrade. Kosovo, whose Serbian minority is 120,000 out of a total population of 1.8 million, declared its independence from Serbia in 2008, which Belgrade never accepted.
The issue of Kosovo remains an obsession for some Serbs, who consider this territory their national and religious cradle.