HAMILTON, Canada

The US on Tuesday sharply criticized the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), urging the UN Security Council to begin shutting it down, calling the mission "wasteful" and no longer relevant.

"The ultimate goal of a peacekeeping mission should be to enable the conditions that obviate the need for the mission," said Ambassador Jeff Bartos, the US representative for UN management and reform, arguing that Kosovo no longer faces a security crisis that justifies UNMIK's presence.

He argued that "there is no security crisis in Kosovo, and UNMIK no longer has a role in the governance of Kosovo," saying that "the time has come to draw down the mission."

Bartos said Washington acknowledges UNMIK's past contributions, but stressed that the mission has become inefficient.

"The reality is that UNMIK is a bloated peacekeeping mission without peacekeepers," he said, arguing that 81% of the mission's budget funds staff salaries and support activities that other organizations could handle.

Calling the current meetings on Kosovo "performative," Bartos said they "damage the institution" and drain resources from urgent global crises.

"These frequent performative meetings on UNMIK are wasteful and diminish the important work this council must do," he argued.  

US urges Kosovo, Serbia to de-escalate tensions

Bartos further said the mission is undergoing a staffing review but warned against efforts to justify its continuation.

"As we have said time and again, the United States is committed to identifying and eliminating unnecessary, wasteful spending in the United Nations," he said.

The US urged the council to revise UNMIK's mandate and shift responsibilities elsewhere, while pressing Kosovo and its neighbor Serbia to de-escalate tensions.

"The United States urges Kosovo and Serbia to work to lower tensions, refrain from escalatory measures, and build peace and stability between them with the ultimate goal of mutual recognition," Bartos said.

Kosovo declared independence in 2008, and 108 countries have since recognized it, including the US and Türkiye. Serbia, however, considers Kosovo part of its territory.

Recent years have seen high tensions between the two on such issues as regions of Kosovo with large ethnic Serb populations, sometimes leading Serbia to amass its troops along the border.

Since taking office in January, the Trump administration has moved for the US to withdraw from or defund major international institutions, in particular the UN and its agencies. It has frequently cited waste and abuse as a reason without supplying evidence.