Britannica Sources used in this answer

Why did NATO conduct air strikes against Serbia during the Kosovo conflict in 1999?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Flag of NATO featuring a white compass rose emblem with four lines radiating from the center on a blue background. — North Atlantic Treaty Organization Flag of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

In March 1999, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) initiated a 78-day air campaign against Serbia to halt the systematic mistreatment and ethnic cleansing of ethnic Albanians in the province of Kosovo.12

The military intervention was prompted by the failure of diplomatic negotiations in Rambouillet, France, and the refusal of the Yugoslav government, led by Slobodan Milošević, to implement international demands for a cease-fire and the withdrawal of forces from the region.134

NATO’s objective was to force the Yugoslav government to accept diplomatic provisions designed to protect the predominantly Muslim Albanian population. The air strikes targeted military infrastructure, including command and control headquarters, air defense systems, and petroleum facilities, to disrupt the Yugoslav army and special police units responsible for the violence. The campaign concluded in June 1999 when the Yugoslav government accepted a peace accord, leading to the deployment of a NATO-led peacekeeping force known as the Kosovo Force (KFOR).4213