"NATO Deploys Extra Forces to Kosovo After Clashes: Updates from NATO's Oslo Meeting"

On Tuesday, Jens Stoltenberg met the Norwegian prime minister, foreign minister and defense minister ahead of NATO’s foreign ministers’ meeting in Oslo.

Together with Jonas Gahr Støre, he then held a press conference on several topics that will be discussed when almost all foreign ministers in the Defense Alliance arrive tomorrow.

A central theme will be the recent clashes in Kosovo.

Clashes broke out on Monday evening between NATO-led peacekeeping forces and ethnic Serb demonstrators, during a demonstration against the results of the local elections in the north.

30 of the soldiers of the peacekeeping force KFOR were injured, and 52 demonstrators, according to Reuters.

On Tuesday, it is clear that Nato is deploying extra forces to Kosovo as a result.

– Such attacks are unacceptable and must be stopped. KFOR will do everything they can to defend and protect their safety and that of citizens in Kosovo, he said further.

– We have decided to deploy 700 soldiers from the ORF reserve force for the western Balkans, and to place an additional battalion with reserve forces on high alert, so that it can also be deployed if necessary.

The conflict has its background in the fact that a Kosovar Albanian party for several weeks lost the local elections in the Serbian-dominated region in the north of Kosovo.

NATO foreign ministers to Oslo

Tomorrow almost all the foreign ministers in NATO will come to Oslo to take part in an “informal” meeting until Thursday.

The ministers who are in Oslo are warming up for the larger NATO meeting in Vilnius on 11–12. July. Informally or not, there will probably be many important discussions in the coming week.

Stoltenberg addresses, among other things, the issue of Swedish NATO membership.

He said on Tuesday that NATO is in continuous contact with the Turkish authorities about Sweden’s NATO membership.

Tobias Billström from Sweden will be present in Oslo. His country is still waiting for approval from Turkey and Hungary to become a NATO member.

The Turkish foreign minister will still not attend the meeting, because he has to help shape the new Turkish parliament.

– All allies, including Turkey, agreed to invite new members. Finland has become a full member, and now Sweden must also become one, said Stoltenberg

– We are working on this, and hope to have everything in place for the meeting in Vilnius. Nothing is certain, but we must work to achieve this.

He again emphasized that Sweden is in a safer position today than before they applied, and that it is “inconceivable” that the Swedes will be attacked without NATO reacting.

Ukraine remains the most important topic

The most important topic is undoubtedly Ukraine, and the situation on the ground right now.

– Putin’s war of aggression against Ukraine marks the end of the world as we know it, Stoltenberg said in a speech to the Norwegian Atlantic Committee on Tuesday.

There he participated in a panel debate together with Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt, and delivered a serious message.

– Great power rivalry is on the rise, our values of democracy and an international legal order are under pressure, and there is full-scale war in Europe.

Støre said later in the day that it is appropriate for Norway to participate in the training of pilots, after the USA has given the thumbs up to this.

Earlier, Stoltenberg received questions from NRK about the massive drone attack on Moscow, where President Putin has his home able to had been one of paint.

At least that’s what a source in the Russian parliament claims. Ukrainian authorities deny that they had anything to do with the attack.

– If Ukraine is behind it, what consequences will it have for further military support?

– We support Ukraine and are completely confident that NATO countries will not only stand by but also step up their support, Stoltenberg said, pointing out that it is Putin who has started the war of invasion.