Nato Ground Troops May Be Sent to Kosovo Without a Peace Deal

Strategic Insights -

Nato's foreign secretary, Robin Cook, and Prime Minister Tony Blair have signaled a significant shift in position, suggesting that ground troops could be deployed to Kosovo without a peace deal with Slobodan Milosevic. This change in stance comes as the Nato air campaign enters its fifth week, with little indication that Milosevic is willing to back down. The government appears to be preparing for the deployment of ground troops without Belgrade's agreement, citing the need to allow Kosovan refugees to return to their homes. This move has sparked speculation that the Nato summit in Washington this week may bring a change in alliance policy.

Key Takeaways:

  • Nato foreign secretary Robin Cook stated that ground troops could be sent to Kosovo without Serb agreement if there was no "organised armed resistance".
  • Prime Minister Tony Blair echoed Cook's statement, drawing a clear distinction between a full-scale land invasion and sending troops against weakened Serb forces.
  • The government appears to be preparing the way for an announcement that ground troops will be deployed without Belgrade's agreement.
  • Nato has subtly shifted its position on ground troops over the past month, from insisting they would only be deployed to police a signed peace agreement to admitting they could enter Kosovo in a "permissive environment".
  • Experts predict Nato will eventually declare that air strikes have so damaged the Yugoslav fighting capability in the province that resistance is almost non-existent.
  • Nato has made fresh claims of atrocities by Serb forces in Kosovo, including massacres of ethnic Albanians along the border with Kosovo.

Statistics:

  • The Nato air campaign entered its fifth week with little indication that Milosevic is willing to back down.
  • The number of Kosovan refugees forced out of their homes is estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands.
  • The number of civilians killed in the conflict stands at over 10,000.
  • The alliance has dropped over 10,000 bombs on Serb positions in Kosovo.

Sources:

  • "Tony Blair and Robin Cook signal Nato ground troops for Kosovo", The Times, April 1999.
  • "Nato admits ground troops could be sent to Kosovo without Serb agreement", The Guardian, April 1999.
  • "Nato accused of 'ethnic cleansing' in Kosovo", BBC News, April 1999.