The election of Donald Trump as president will be felt globally – including in Kosovo – and will influence policies in one way or another. Foreign policy and security expert based in Washington, Adrian Shtuni, said that Trump’s return to the White House would not bring significant changes to the U.S.’s current policy towards Kosovo, but it would lead to a greater focus on the issue.
In an interview for REL, Shtuni stated that, in relations with Kosovo, the U.S. would likely concentrate more on the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue process.
He added that this focus would include increased pressure to finalize the Brussels dialogue with a final agreement.
“I believe the new administration will take a pragmatic approach, similar to what we’ve seen before, focused on results rather than endless words and fruitless dialogue. As for Serbia, I expect the same approach and hope there will be increased pressure to resolve the dialogue and normalization of relations with Kosovo once and for all.
Certainly, there will also be accountability for other open issues, such as the Banjska incident, but the emphasis will definitely be on closing the chapter of normalization. Kosovo should continue its path towards EU and NATO membership, as well as other organizations, while Serbia should follow the path that it deems most preferable,” Shtuni told REL.
