Kupchan: After Global Setbacks, Trump May Revisit Kosovo and Serbia
Washington D.C., USA – June 18, 2025 – Charles Kupchan, a distinguished expert at the Council on Foreign Relations, has commented on President Donald Trump’s recent statement regarding Kosovo and Serbia. Kupchan suggests that the remarks should be viewed as part of Trump’s efforts to redirect public attention to his perceived role as an “excellent negotiator.”
Kupchan highlighted that Trump’s promises to end the war in Ukraine and resolve conflicts in the Middle East haven’t materialized. Both wars continue intensely, and key actors show no signs of willingness to compromise.
“Since he’s not achieving major results in the Middle East and in diplomacy with Ukraine and Russia, Trump might be trying to shift attention back to Kosovo and Serbia to achieve a potential victory there,” Kupchan stated in an interview with Radio Free Europe. He added that Trump’s social media post could be an attempt to remind the public of his past achievements.
Kupchan also suggested that Trump might be trying to reaffirm his self-confidence as a negotiator, given that many of his previous promises, such as ending the war in Ukraine and stopping the conflict in the Middle East, have proven inaccurate.
Clarifying Historical Context and Trump’s Past Role
Furthermore, Kupchan emphasized that Kosovo and Serbia have not been at war since 1999, noting that Trump had conflated some facts in his attempts to comment on the current situation.
“Did the Trump administration, with [envoy for Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Richard] Grenell, succeed in advancing an agreement for economic cooperation between Kosovo and Serbia? Yes. Did they manage to mediate an agreement for Kosovo to establish diplomatic relations with Israel? Yes,” Kupchan acknowledged. “These are not insignificant. But the idea that Trump — in some way — averted or ended the war, is simply inaccurate.”
