Fearing threats to sovereignty after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Serbia's breakaway region of Kosovo appealed to US President Joe Biden to support their NATO membership.

In a letter addressed to Biden seen by AFP Thursday, Kosovo's President Vjosa Osmani warned against Moscow's efforts to "destabilise" the Balkans.

"Kosovo's membership in NATO has become imperative", Osmani wrote.

"We express our hope and expectation that the United States will use its leadership and influence to actively support and advance the complex NATO membership process for Kosovo."

The letter was sent to the White House last week.

Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti already pressed a case for EU and NATO membership, telling AFP that Russia's invasion of Ukraine meant that both organisations needed to make it easier -- and faster -- for candidates to join.

"As they will target new conflicts, the Western Balkans in general and Kosovo in particular are at risk," Kurti warned.

Moscow has been a fierce opponent of Kosovo since the war in the 1990s when Russia's longtime ally Serbia saw its security forces pushed out of the territory with the crucial help of NATO air strikes.

Ethnic-majority Albanian Kosovo proclaimed independence from Serbia in 2008, a move that several countries, including Russia and Ukraine, have refused to recognise.

Russia wields veto power at the United Nations that has helped block formal recognition of Kosovo.

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, Kosovo launched its own targeted sanctions against Moscow.

It has also pledged to welcome thousands of Ukrainian refugees and allocate a special fund to assist the Ukrainian people.

Related Links
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Biden to announce $800 mn in new security aid to Ukraine: US official
Washington (AFP) March 16, 2022
US President Joe Biden will announce $800 million in new security assistance to Ukraine Wednesday, a White House official said, with the announcement set to come soon after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses the US Congress. The announcement, expected to come at 11.45 am (1545 GMT), brings "the total (aid) announced in the last week alone to $1 billion," the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity late Tuesday, said. Zelensky is set to renew his appeals for more aid in his v ... read more