Did the Nato intervention stop a much wider conflict - or did the bombing campaign leave crucial political issues unresolved? Are the citizens of Kosovo - Serb and ethnic Albanian - better or worse off now as a result?
For this week's Europewide Debate, Europe Today's Janet Barrie brought together - from Brussels - the Nato spokesman Jamie Shea and the writer on Balkan affairs, Misha Glenny.
This debate is now closed. Read a selection of your comments below.
Your reaction
Many have called Kosovo "Madeline's War". But I don't believe that Nato or the US could simply stand by and do nothing while Serbia oppressed and quite literally drove out the Albanian Kosovars.
Nell,
USA
Nato's campaign in Kosovo was a failure. It was a disaster for US foreign policy. It inspired Russian nationalism and led to their conquest of Chechnya and the rise of Putin. It led to close relations between China and Russia. Another of Allbright's disasters.
Paul Lawson,
USA
The Nato mission was a success for globalisation, but not for either the Serbs or the Albanians. The global police are there, and that was the objective to begin with. The destruction of Serbia and Kosovo was a by-product of that objective. I wonder which small country is next?
Richard,
USA
It was obvious that something should have been done in Kosovo. It should have been handled by the EU, which proved to be spineless. Instead we had the US, under the cover of Nato, cynically lying and bombing their way to a "settlement". The Kosovo problem has only started. It will need years of patient work and investment, not only in capital, but in goodwill and realism.
Kostas Laskaris,
Switzerland
That war was just for the US. Nobody in Europe wanted it.
Sergii Kozlov,
Ukraine
Success for Imperialism, and the propaganda of the ''independent'' Western mass media, but defeat for the UN, human rights, truth and finally of the human intelligence that so senselessly accepted the purposes proclaimed. It seems that history taught nothing to humanity
Defkalion Tsagarakis,
Greece
I think that Nato's Kosovo campaign was a severe violation of sovereignty and a complete failure. It has greatly destabilised the region and has created great ethnic tensions. Since the Nato peacekeeping force moved in, the non-Albanian population has been submitted to violence and terror and as a result, many have fled. The USA is abusing its super-power status and is attacking any country that will not submit to its expansion across Europe either economically, or in Yugoslavia's case, militarily. If the USA does not change its current course of action then we will surely witness a huge arms race which will no doubt have dire consequences.
Branko Tanaskovic,
Australia
The Nato aggression on Yugoslavia was prepared many years ago, same as the destruction of the former Yugoslavia. Every effort has been made in the creation of false reports and excuses for this evil plan.
John,
Canada
In March 1999, near the town where I was born, a 3 year old girl was killed by shrapnel from a Nato bomb thrown at one of the Yugoslav military airports. Well, it was not really an airport; it was just a plastic pretend-airport positioned there by an underestimated army. Nato's intervention did succeed in terrorising Yugoslav civilians. Whether that helped Kosovars (technically also Yugoslav civilians) is best judged by the current situation in Kosovo, which is by all accounts characterised by ethnic tension worse than before Nato's intervention.
Dan Tesh,
Australia
Let's see, what did Nato succeed in doing? They managed to expel from Kosovo brutal gangs of murdering thugs bent on eradicating an ethnic group. These have now been replaced with brutal gangs of murdering thugs bent on eradicating an ethnic group. Congratulations Nato, what a glorious achievement.
JS,
Scotland
The objective of Nato intervention had only one true objective. To restore stability. Judging by the fact that every side is criticising Nato, and not each other, satisfies me that the mission was successfully accomplished.
Mark M. Newdick,
USA/UK
I do not think that Nato's Kosovo campaign has brought peace for all the people who live there. Now Albanians try to expel the Serbians from their homes just like the Serbians expelled them before. There is no indication that the two nations will reach an agreement about the future of this province.
The Albanians want an independent country although the European politicians have always said that Kosovo is a part of Yugoslavia. Both of them do not want to live together any more. It is most likely this province will be divided into two parts and Bosnia or Nato's peacekeepers will stay there for at least 20 years. Any self-rule would be not good enough for all the citizens of this country because both these nations are not tolerant and seek for revenge.
Roumiana Dirimanova,
Bulgaria, currently living in Ireland
It depends on the definition of success. If success means the pacification of Kosovo then Nato failed. If it means demilitarisation of a terrorist organisation the KLA then it failed. If it means making Kosovo safe for all then they failed. If it meant destruction of the Yugoslav army then it failed. If it means the overthrowing of Milosevic then it failed. No one has benefited from Nato's intervention - except terrorists, criminals and arms manufacturers. Natos' blind intervention in Kosovo has further destabilised the whole region for many years to come.
NM,
UK
The objective of this invasion was to destroy the only country in Europe with dignity, the only country that refuses to be a US colony. That's why every effort was made to undermine any peaceful solution, which's why the free part of Yugoslavia is still under US sanctions. And the list can go for long...
Judging from this objective, the invasion was partly successful, though they failed to harm the Yugoslavian army and dignity they did destroy the country's infrastructure.
Nicholas, US colony of Britain