NATO Burdensharing and Kosovo: A Preliminary Report

Publication Date: January 2000

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: International relations

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Abstract:

On March 24, 2999, NATO launched Operation Allied Force against Yugoslavia. Allied Force, conducted almost entirely from the air, was intended to halt Yugoslavia's brutal, systematic expulsion of ethnic Albanians from Kosovo. The air war continued until June 10, when Belgrade capitulated. Each NATO country that participated in Allied Force was responsible for funding its own armed forces. U.S. aircraft flew the majority of missions, and U.S. policymakers have argued that the United States paid too large a share of the conflict's cost. The international effort to bring peace and stability to Kosovo, however, was more than just an offensive military operation. Peacekeeping activities, humanitarian relief, refugee assistance, and reconstruction aid will likely total in the billions of dollars, and European nations have stated they intend to play a leading role. There is no single source of consistent dataon how much each NATO member state contributed to the military and non-military activities related to Kosovo. To gain an approximate idea of relative costs, CRS contacted the embassies of NATO member states and requested they provide their expenditures associated with Kosovo. Other data in the report have been derived from pledges announced at two donor conferences held in Brussels. It should be emphasized that, unless and until more complete information becomes available, the numbers presented in this report should be regarded only as rough guides to contributions. This report will be updated as CRS receives additional information.