The Western Balkans continues to be one of Europe’s most sensitive geopolitical regions, and its long-term stability hinges heavily on the sustained engagement of the United States, experts warned on Monday.
Republican Congressman Keith Self, Chair of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Europe, described the Western Balkans as “the most unstable region in Europe aside from war-torn Ukraine.”
This assessment is shared by Charles Kupchan, Senior Fellow at the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations, who emphasized that the American presence remains essential for regional stability and security.
According to Kupchan, several unresolved political disputes in the Western Balkans continue to pose significant risks:
- the stalled Kosovo–Serbia dialogue,
- the fragile internal dynamics of Bosnia and Herzegovina,
- and what he described as an “unstable and unpredictable regime in Belgrade.”
“The region has made substantial progress since the bloodshed of the 1990s, but the situation remains sensitive. Whether it’s Kosovo–Serbia relations, Bosnia’s internal divisions, or the volatile leadership in Belgrade, the Western Balkans is still a place where things can go wrong,” Kupchan told TeVe1.
“Kosovo must ensure that the United States continues its support,” he added.
NATO Membership Not Imminent
Speaking about Kosovo’s potential NATO membership, Kupchan cautioned that the process is far from straightforward.
He noted that Kosovo cannot advance toward the Alliance without concluding the normalization process with Serbia.
“It is not NATO blocking Kosovo. The obstacle lies in the fact that states must be prepared for membership, meaning internal reforms and the resolution of major geopolitical issues — and at the top of that list is the Kosovo–Serbia normalization,” Kupchan said.
Currently, four NATO members still do not recognize Kosovo’s independence: Greece, Spain, Romania, and Slovakia.
Despite this, NATO forces have been deployed in Kosovo continuously since June 1999, following the end of the war and the withdrawal of Serbian forces.
