The Director of the Institute for Hybrid Warfare Studies “Octopus,” Arben Fetoshi, has stated that the United States is losing patience with threatening actors operating in the service of Russia, China, and Iran.
In a reaction following today’s U.S. strikes in Venezuela, Fetoshi said that the United States of America is increasingly unwilling to tolerate actors that threaten the Western order—led by Russia, China, and Iran—as well as proxy states acting on their behalf.
According to him, the U.S. strikes against Venezuela send a clear global message that the era of tolerance toward destabilizing states has come to an end. As such, they also serve as a warning to Serbia if President Aleksandar Vučić does not change his approach toward Kosovo, regional states, and democracy.
“Today’s strikes in Venezuela are the culmination of accumulated tensions stemming from a hybrid strategy against the interests of the U.S. and NATO, democracy, and Western values. A narco-terrorist state, with the so-called ‘Cartel of the Suns’ (‘suns’ as symbols on generals’ uniforms, implying the involvement of the highest levels of the military), which manages and protects cocaine trafficking toward the U.S. and Europe, is not merely a regime criminalized by smuggling. It is a regional destabilizing actor that must be prevented,” Fetoshi wrote.
Linking this development to the Balkans, Fetoshi assesses that Serbia follows a similar hybrid model, albeit in a more concealed manner. “Through the so-called ‘policy of neutrality,’ Serbia has deepened its strategic ties with Russia, expanded cooperation with China, and at the same time benefited from billions of euros through the European integration process, while continuously provoking regional security and stability—particularly by sabotaging the Republic of Kosovo,” Fetoshi emphasizes.
According to him, this approach is no longer acceptable in Washington, where if we refer to the U.S. National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Serbia is already being viewed as an active vector of Russian and Chinese influence in the Balkans.
“If Serbia does not change course and continues its aggressive policy toward Kosovo and other countries in the region, it risks facing much harsher measures. President Trump is losing patience with states that pretend to be ‘neutral,’ but in practice serve the sabotage of democracy and Western values,” Fetoshi concludes.
