The U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo, Jeffrey Hovenier, stated that he would not be concerned about the American public’s commitment to Kosovo and the issue of Kosovo as a sovereign, independent, democratic, and multi-ethnic state.
Hovenier emphasized that this matter is settled, and according to him, the people of Kosovo will not see any change in the generosity of the United States under the new administration of President Trump.
“This is a done deal, and I don’t think the people of Kosovo will see a shift in the U.S. public’s generosity under the new administration. The partnership between the Iowa National Guard and the Kosovo Security Force, the educational exchanges, all the work we do with youth, these are important aspects of our bilateral relations and I don’t think these things will change. Every time a new administration comes into power, they review policies because circumstances change, and they are elected to implement certain policy changes,” said Hovenier.
He also addressed the Kosovo-Serbia issue, noting that it did not feature prominently in the campaign, and neither candidate had a very specific stance on changes regarding these matters. However, Hovenier stressed that “inevitably, there will be a policy review, and it is likely that some policy changes will occur.”
“Had Kamala Harris been elected, there likely would have been a policy review, and some changes may have taken place. I don’t know exactly what those will be, and I won’t be part of the new structure that will implement them. I can only speak to what we have done. But I wouldn’t spend too much time worrying about our fundamental commitment to Kosovo. That is strong,” Hovenier said during his appearance on Rubikon on Klan Kosova.
Further, Hovenier discussed the issue of territorial exchange, which had been debated during the first Trump administration, stating, “We do not believe that this is the right way forward.”
“I don’t know what will or will not be on the table. I can speak to the policies of this administration, which is that we don’t think this is the right approach. It is also clear that the populations in both countries are not in favor of such a solution.”
“So, I don’t see it working, but I’m not in a position to speak about what the priorities of the next administration will be,” he concluded.
