Prishtina, July 16, 2025 – President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani has directly responded to accusations made by Richard Grenell, the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Special Missions, who claimed Osmani “manipulated” remarks by former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Osmani rejected the accusation, saying that Trump’s recent statements about having prevented a possible conflict between Kosovo and Serbia are public, clear, and require no interpretation.
“That statement can be heard by anyone. I don’t need to interpret it or add anything,” Osmani said. “Trump himself said that peace was achieved within a few weeks, in another statement within a few months, and in yet another, that it happened in the last three weeks. These are his words.”
President Osmani emphasized that her comments were simply her understanding of Trump’s remarks and were meant as a positive recognition of his role as a peacemaker.
“When asked about those very specific statements, I explained how I understood them, not by interpreting or adding anything. We value President Trump’s role as a peacemaker, someone who works tirelessly for peace across the world. My entire statement was an expression of appreciation for President Trump and his leadership,” she stated.
Grenell, who was the Trump administration’s special envoy during the 2020 Washington Agreement negotiations between Kosovo and Serbia, had earlier accused Osmani of twisting Trump’s recent comments. According to him, the former U.S. president was referring to the time of the 2020 agreement — not any recent developments — and called Osmani’s remarks “absurd” and a “shame.”
“Shame on Vjosa Osmani for manipulating President Trump’s words,” Grenell wrote on social media.
The dispute comes amid heightened political tension and speculation over regional security, as Trump continues to make headlines claiming he averted war in the Balkans, while Kosovo’s leadership seeks international support against what it views as persistent Serbian threats.
