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Media from Washington: Alarm for KFOR and Russian-Chinese influence in the Balkans, 5% required for defense

2026-03-19 09:35:00, Aktualitet CNA

Media from Washington: Alarm for KFOR and Russian-Chinese influence in the

MP Fatmir Mediu, from a series of meetings at the US State Department and the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, emphasized the necessity of increasing defense spending to 5% and strengthening NATO.

He warned of the risk of reducing the presence of KFOR, at a time when the influence of Russia and China in the Balkans is increasing.

"The first meeting took place at the State Department, where Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Asia, Mr. Brendan Hanrahan, presented the US and President Trump's position on strengthening NATO.

First, increasing defense spending to 5% as a vital necessity for NATO and security.

Secondly, the creation of strong support for these expenditures from the defense industry, its rapid development, and the need for Europe to develop a defense industry that guarantees high levels of operability and interoperability, while abandoning protectionist policies that undermine cooperation and the strengthening of the Alliance. He reiterated the words of Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the US wants a strong Europe.

During the conversation, I asked Assistant Secretary Hanrahan about the US commitment in the Balkans to cooperate in joint spending by NATO and partner countries to increase political cooperation, military deterrence, and American investments in the Balkans.

I also asked about the concern of a group of Congressmen addressed to Secretary Rubio about reducing the military presence in KFOR, while Serbia has not only increased its military spending but also has support from Russia and China, as was the recent case of the purchase of missiles of a purely offensive nature.

Also Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Defense Trade Control, Mr. Michael Vaccarro.

He presented the entire US commitment to exchanges and trade in the field of defense and the importance of common understanding among NATO countries.

In my discussion, I emphasized the need to unify control policies in Albania and the Balkan countries, not only with laws on investment control in the field of defense, but also implementation and assessment capacities to avoid the penetration of malicious states such as China and Russia. It is now a known fact that China has increased its economic presence in Albania, which can seriously affect national security but also the security of partners”, declares Mediu./ CNA





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