Kosovo announced on Wednesday that it would turn the Security Forces into a National Army, according to Reuters. Immediately, NATO and the United States harshly criticized this decision.
Nearly two decades after the war in Kosovo, relations between Pristina and Belgrade remain strained, and Serbia continues to regard Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008, as its own breakaway province.
The Pristina government ordered the creation of a national army three years ago, but Serbian lawmakers said they would block the necessary changes to the country's constitution.
On Wednesday, parliament indicated it would overtake the opposition with relevant amendments to an existing law allowing the Kosovo Security Force to procure heavy weapons, essentially turning it into an army.
NATO has about 4.500 troops stationed in Kosovo.
The US embassy in Pristina said the adoption of these amendments "will force us to reconsider our long-term support for the Kosovo Security Force".
Kosovo President Hacim Thaci, who initiated the process, said he would continue the plan despite concerns from NATO and the United States, and called on the government to vote on the amendments.
Source: newsbeast.gr