• JFC Naples Commander Wikoff stays in Kosovo, meets Osmani and Kurti (media)
• What does the U.S. expect from the next government of Kosovo? (Kallxo)
• European Commission calls on Kosovo to ratify Growth Plan agreement ASAP (RFE)
• Abdixhiku calls for agreement for a non-political president (Koha)
• Demi explains why no crisis is expected with election of President (Telegrafi)
• Damka: KDTP will support Kurti 3 government with two MPs (Indeksonline)
• PDK starts preparations for party elections (Gazeta 10)
• Inflation rate in Kosovo reaches 5.3%, increase in energy and food prices leads (AP)
• Vucic recognized Kosovo by accepting the Ohrid Agreement, Kandic says (Nacionale)
• Djuric: US made positive step forward regarding Serbian interests in the region (Tanjug)

JFC Naples Commander Wikoff stays in Kosovo, meets Osmani and Kurti (media)

All news websites covered on Monday the visit to Kosovo by the Commander of the Allied Joint Force Command Naples, Admiral George Wikoff, and his separate meetings with Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani and caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

Osmani congratulated Admiral Wikoff on assuming his new duty, wishing him success in leading the NATO Joint Forces Command in Naples and expressing her full confidence in his leadership and in the key role that this command plays for Euro-Atlantic security, regional stability and international peace. She reiterated Kosovo’s gratitude to NATO and the United States of America “for the decisive and irreplaceable role they have played and continue to play in guaranteeing peace, security and stability in Kosovo since 1999” and expressed “special appreciation for the KFOR mission, as a reliable preventive and security guarantee force for all citizens of Kosovo.

Osmani also highlighted the dangers “from Serbia’s destabilizing acts and the lack of accountability on Serbia’s part” for the attack on KFOR soldiers, the aggression in Banjska and the kinetic attack on the Iber-Lepenci water canal.

Kurti said in a press release after meeting Wikoff that “Kosovo is a success story of NATO intervention, liberation and independence, which has turned into an engine of economic development, foundation of democratic state-building and an opportunity for social well-being”. Kurti highlighted Kosovo’s objective and engagement for full membership in NATO, “as the best response for sustainable peace, long-term stability and security in the region”. “The security of Kosovo is primarily the security of its borders,” he argued.

What does the U.S. expect from the next government of Kosovo? (Kallxo)

The news website reported on Monday that as Kosovo is finalizing the post-election process, the US Embassy in Pristina said it expects to work with the new government on shared priorities. “We look forward to working with the next government on shared priorities for regional peace, stability and mutual economic prosperity,” the embassy told Kallxo in a statement.

European Commission calls on Kosovo to ratify Growth Plan agreement ASAP (RFE)

Kosovo must adopt the agreement with the European Union on the Growth Plan as soon as the new Assembly is constituted so it can start receiving funds from the financial package for Western Balkans countries, a spokesperson for the European Commission told Radio Free Europe on Monday.

The news website notes that Kosovo was among the first to adopt the reforms agenda in 2024 but was unable to get the funds due to the lack of a functioning Assembly that would ratify the formal agreement with the EU. “It is in Kosovo’s interest for the ratification to happen as soon as possible, so it can fully use all the opportunities offered by the Growth Plan for the benefit of its people,” the spokesperson said.

Kosovo is expected to constitute the new Assembly in the coming weeks, after the December 28 snap parliamentary elections which were won convincingly by the Vetevendosje Movement, the ruling party of caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

The ratification of the agreement with the EU requires 80 votes in the Assembly, which means that the votes of opposition MPs are needed too.

Abdixhiku calls for agreement for a non-political president (Koha)

Leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Lumir Abdixhiku, in an interview with Koha on Monday, said that the LDK will not support any candidate for Kosovo President without a prior political agreement. He said that specific names should not be imposed on MPs and that the vote on the President requires consensus. “Unilateral nominations by the parties do not bring consensus. Without a political agreement between the parliamentary parties, imposing specific candidates will bring no other result but institutional crisis. The election of the President cannot be done with force but rather consensus. In this phase, Kosovo does not have the luxury to enter a crisis over a specific name. The country needs institutional stability, a normal functioning of institutions and political wisdom to face both internal and external challenges,” he argued.

The news website notes that five years ago, Abdixhiku and LDK MPs had stayed in the Assembly room and helped the election of Vjosa Osmani as Kosovo President. But this time, Abdixhiku did not give any signs that they would act the same way. “The parliamentary parties, namely 80 MPs, must find and choose a consensual candidate that safeguards constitutional integrity, one that restores the trust of all parliamentary parties, and is not seen as a political entity but a unifying figure. The Democratic League of Kosovo is ready to take part in any serious inter-party process that aims to build consensus and choose a figure that represents the state,” he said.

Demi explains why no crisis is expected with election of President (Telegrafi)

Agron Demi, political commentator, said in an interview with the news website, that the re-election of the President or the election of a new President of Kosovo, is not expected to face an institutional blockade regardless of political debates on the matter. He said that the basis for this is a decision by the Constitutional Court in the case of Behgjet Pacolli which clearly determines that MPs are obliged to take part in the voting process. “MPs are obliged to take part in the voting. Even if the election is not made in the first two rounds, in the third round the President is elected with 61 votes, and the MPs need to be present,” he said.

Demi also argued that the political parties no longer have space for maneuvering or intentional blockades because the last experience showed that institutional delays did not bring them any political benefits.

Damka: KDTP will support Kurti 3 government with two MPs (Indeksonline)

Leader of the KDTP, Fikrim Damka, said in an interview with the news website on Monday, that he is optimistic that the new government will be formed soon. Damka, who is caretaker Minister for Regional Development, said that his party will support a Kurti-led government with two MPs. “Our cooperation will continue and we will continue to give our contribution to governance by supporting a Kurti 3 government,” he said.

PDK starts preparations for party elections (Gazeta 10)

The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) held a meeting of its presidency on Monday, the second one after the December 28 snap parliamentary elections, to discuss its results in the process. The party’s presidency discussed all issues related to elections, which ranked the PDK as the second political party, and made concrete recommendations for further political steps. “As the first step toward further strengthening the part, the PDK presidency has adopted the decision to start preparations for party elections, which will be held at all organizational levels, starting from sub-branches and branches and the central bodies of the party,” the PDK said in a statement.

Inflation rate in Kosovo reaches 5.3%, increase in energy and food prices leads (AP)

The Kosovo Agency of Statistics published the Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) on Monday for December 2025, showing an annual increase in inflation of 5.3 percent compared to December 2024. According to the agency, monthly inflation in December 2025 was 0.7 percent, while the average annual inflation rate for the whole of 2025 reached 3.9 percent. During 2025 the increase in prices was mainly driven by increased prices in some basic categories of consumption, including coffee, tea and cocoa (15.2%), electricity (11.4%), meat (11.0%), fruits (11.5%), as well as hotel services and organized holidays. Significant increases were also observed in food products such as milk, cheese and eggs, as well as in ambulatory services and maintenance of transportation means.

Vucic recognized Kosovo by accepting the Ohrid Agreement, Kandic says (Nacionale)

Belgrade-based human rights activist, Natasa Kandic, said in a post on X on Monday that by accepting the German-French document, the Brussels Agreement and the Ohrid implementation annex, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic “accepted reality – that Kosovo is an independent state”. “I would add that this reality is a consequence of war crimes committed by the Serbian Ministry of Interior Affairs,” she argued.

Djuric: US made positive step forward regarding Serbian interests in the region (Tanjug)

Serbia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Marko Djuric stated that Serbia and the United States hold differing positions on Kosovo, but that Washington has made a certain positive step forward when it comes to Serbian national interests in the region and its approach toward Pristina, adding that Belgrade seeks to further improve relations with Washington, RTV reports.

“We must look at things objectively and say that the Trump administration suspended the strategic dialogue with Kurti’s government and withheld several hundred million dollars in development assistance. This is a consequence of their assessment of the endangered position of Christians, that is, Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija,” Djuric said in an interview with Tanjug.

The head of Serbian diplomacy emphasized that his job is to strive to analyze matters objectively and to speak the truth and facts in public appearances.

“The fact is that the new U.S. administration has taken certain positive steps toward Serbia. And when I say that, I mean taking Serbian national interests in the region into account,” Djuric said, adding that Serbia’s goal is the further improvement of relations with the United States.