Osmani and Kurti in America: A new attempt to bring Kosovo and the US closer, or just souvenir photos?

During last week and this week, Kosovo’s President Vjosa Osmani and Prime Minister in a caretaker capacity Albin Kurti were in the United States. The result: multiple separate meetings with European and American officials, and a few “souvenir photos,” of which the one with Osmani and Trump is the most prized. Analysts in Pristina claim the “American tour” exposed the weakness of Kosovo’s foreign policy and diplomacy. For interlocutors of Kosovo Online, it amounted to “pulling chestnuts out of the fire” — an attempt to draw closer to Washington following the suspension of the planned strategic dialogue.

Written by: Djordje Barovic

Meetings on the margins of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, followed by encounters with the diaspora, students, and the occasional congressman or senator — these are the hallmarks of the “American tour” of President Vjosa Osmani and Prime Minister in a caretaker capacity Albin Kurti.

The visit came after the US decision to suspend the planned strategic dialogue with Kosovo.

Osmani’s messages

After a reception for President Trump in New York, Osmani said she had “important conversations” with world leaders in Kosovo’s interest. Previously, alongside a photograph with the US President, she stressed that a “protocol-planned meeting with President Trump turned into a long and very substantive conversation.”

“President Trump spent an hour and 28 minutes at this event. On average, that is 36 seconds per leader. Now imagine what a long and very substantive conversation could have taken place there…,” remarked diplomatic expert Emir Abraši.

Kurti’s messages

During a discussion at the Hudson Institute in New York on “The Growing Kosovo–US Partnership in Defense and Development,” Prime Minister in a caretaker capacity Albin Kurti stated that the partnership with the US rests on three pillars: diplomacy, defense, and development.

“In diplomacy we sometimes face differences, particularly regarding Serbia and the illegal structures it maintains in Kosovo. But those differences concern tactics and operational issues, not values or strategic goals,” Kurti said.

A response followed from the US Embassy in Pristina.

“The decision to suspend the strategic dialogue is entirely based on the actions of Kosovo’s caretaker government. Any suggestion that this is connected to Serbia or other external actors is inaccurate and an attempt to avoid the key issues,” the embassy said on Monday.

Analysts — as well as the opposition in Kosovo — largely view Osmani’s and Kurti’s “American tour” negatively.

Former Kosovo Prime Minister Isa Mustafa emphasized that the visits by Osmani and Kurti to the US have no role in restoring the strategic dialogue with the US.

“The visit by Osmani and Kurti to the US was not set out as a condition for renewing the strategic dialogue. Therefore it has no role. Meetings held during the UN General Assembly’s autumn session do not provide the conditions or opportunities for substantive topics,” Mustafa said.

He called Osmani’s meetings “symbolic and without real impact.”

“At a reception organized for everyone, the President had a protocol photo with President Trump, which lasted as long as a photo-op and handshake, and she also took a photo with the Secretary of State,” Mustafa recalled.

As for Kurti’s activities, Mustafa said the caretaker prime minister did not meet with anyone from the US government and made scandalous statements.

Political analyst Azem Vlasi claims the suspension of the strategic dialogue with the US is the result of Kurti’s “stubbornness,” while many, like analyst Aida Dërguti, believe their visit to America was “electoral in character.”

This is also claimed by Social Democratic Initiative member Artan Nimani, who went a step further by asserting that there were no “substantive meetings,” and that Osmani and Kurti in the US met with “friends and acquaintances.”

“If we carefully analyze the meetings they had, apart from the president’s photo with the President of the United States, all the others were meetings among friends and acquaintances, invitations to consulates, or chance encounters in corridors, hotels, and halls. So, there was no substantive meeting of the kind we were used to seeing during earlier visits of Kosovo’s leaders to the US,” Nimani said.

‘Parliamentarian’ tragicomedy

Commenting on Kurti’s visit to the US, political scientist Albinot Maloku says his statements and explanations were “tragicomical,” yet also consistent with his “position as a parliamentarian.”

“His speech, his manner of explanation, his self-understanding of what he thinks should be or is — at certain moments it seemed ridiculous, not to mention tragicomical, for the relationship Kosovo ought to have with the United States,” Maloku told Kosovo Press.

He adds, ironically, that Kurti’s statements and meetings in the US should be viewed “in line with his position as a parliamentarian.”

“These visits he had — all at the level of the US legislature — are consistent with his position as a parliamentarian. Government officials meet with government officials, and he has not yet managed to have such a meeting,” Maloku noted.

A poor situation and difficulties

On the other hand, analyst Edward Joseph of Johns Hopkins University told Kosovo Online that Kosovo is currently in a poor situation regarding its relations with the US.

“I agree that Kosovo is currently in a bad position when you see that this month the Trump administration suspended the strategic dialogue. This is a very serious step. They specifically cited Prime Minister Kurti, his statements and actions. And they noted that these have jeopardized progress — hard-won progress that has not been achieved in years,” Joseph said.

He recalls that Kosovo had difficulties under the previous US President Joseph Biden’s administration as well, despite the “very friendly” then-US Ambassador Jeffrey Hovenier.

“During Biden’s time there were repeated difficulties with Kurti’s government. And now this continues. And it is not good, especially since Serbia is soon to launch a strategic dialogue with the United States. So this is not a good situation for Kosovo,” Joseph emphasized.

Commenting on the “American tour” of President Vjosa Osmani and caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti, the analyst says he does not know exactly whom they spoke with.

“I don’t know about their activities. I can only hope that everyone was there to advance the interests of the Republic of Kosovo, which is a small country and needs the United States regardless of who holds the administration. Kosovo needs the United States as a friend and partner. So, I don’t know exactly what their agenda was. I can only hope they were there to advance the interests of the Republic of Kosovo,” Joseph stressed.

Asked how to interpret the differing activities of Osmani and Kurti, the analyst does not rule out “frictions” between the president and the caretaker prime minister.

“Obviously, according to reports, there are certain frictions between the two of them,” he specified.

Joseph recalls that earlier this year he had the opportunity to host Osmani in Washington.

“And at that time, she met with a senior State Department official; she met with the Deputy Secretary of State because Marco Rubio was not in town. So she found there was open space and is actively working to open a dialogue between Kosovo and the Trump administration — that is clear,” Joseph noted.

Commenting on the suspension of the strategic dialogue, Joseph specifies that one must also “face” the fact that “Kosovo is not the only country that has difficulties with the EU and the US.”

“Several countries in the region are in crisis and are experiencing difficulties; therefore, it is not only about Kosovo — Kosovo is one of them. Kosovo is now facing difficulties, compounded by the suspension of the strategic dialogue by the United States. But this is not the first time. Kurti’s government had many difficulties under President Biden, even though the American ambassador in Pristina was very friendly,” Joseph recalls.

He cites “lack of coordination” as a key problem, as well as “Serbia as part of the tensions.”

“‘Lack of coordination’ is a term we have heard repeatedly. At the same time, we must emphasize here that Serbia was also part of these tensions with Kosovo, particularly in Banjska, as well as with the kidnapping of Kosovo police officers. So we cannot pretend that only one country has difficulties. But the truth is, Kosovo’s image has been damaged, and this is a very serious situation — the suspension of the strategic dialogue with the United States,” Joseph concludes.

Factors and positions

Aleksandra Joksimovic, Director of the Center for Foreign Policy, is much clearer than Joseph.

In an interview with Kosovo Online, she claims that Albin Kurti is, for the US administration, a disruptive factor — someone “who cannot lead the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina.”

She believes the key goal of his visit to the US was to “personally present his views” as the stronger political figure in Kosovo.

“He is, in political terms, the stronger figure. More power is in his hands, regardless of the fact that there is currently no government. But, on the other hand, Osmani carries a certain weight. And in that context I believe Kurti wanted to explain his views himself, thinking that in this way he could soften America’s positions. But I doubt that is possible at this moment,” Joksimovic said.

The former Serbian ambassador to the UK believes that, regardless of Osmani’s photos with Trump, the Kosovo delegation still had no room for more substantive talks.

“I would say there were no in-depth conversations, there was no opportunity. You know how many world leaders were present, and I don’t believe anyone had the space to devote themselves more deeply to this topic, which is not currently in the spotlight. But we must bear in mind that it was precisely during Trump’s previous administration that Kurti’s government was brought down thanks to the actions of (Richard) Grenell. Kurti is viewed as someone who cannot lead the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina toward a solution, but rather as a kind of disruptive factor,” Joksimovic emphasized.

She recalls that the US also had “alternative and creative solutions” for the Kosovo question during Trump’s previous term, but that plan failed due to the lack of “full support from certain European countries.”

“One of those countries was Germany, but also the United Kingdom. For now, given the large number of acute crises in the world, Trump has not yet shown clear positions regarding the Belgrade–Pristina dialogue — namely, how he sees the continuation of this dialogue and America’s role. Whether he will continue to insist on implementing the Washington Agreement or enter a new cycle of new, creative solutions remains to be seen. But whatever his position on this issue, without the EU it will be difficult to reach a solution that would wrap up this topic,” Joksimovic specified.

The pronounced critical tones toward Pristina will not change the policies toward Kosovo of most EU members, nor of the US.

“The way Kurti addresses certain problems has clearly been criticized among the strongest supporters of independence. But, on the other hand, if you ask me whether those countries will, because of this, generally change their position on what has been their policy for decades — that is, the goal of achieving Kosovo’s full independence — I don’t think so. There will be no change of that kind. Above all, they view it as their own success and, in that context, can hardly abandon their own policy,” Joksimovic stressed.

Discomfort and the ‘orbit’

On the other hand, political science professor Nexhmedin Spahiu believes that American “discomfort” with Kurti will not damage relations with Kosovo, because Kosovo, as a “child of the West,” remains in the “American orbit.”

“Relations between the US and Kosovo are good. There is discomfort in the US administration’s attitude toward Prime Minister Albin Kurti, but that does not mean Kosovo can move outside the US ‘orbit.’ The state of Kosovo is a ‘child of the West,’ above all of the US, so ‘a father may sometimes slap his child,’ but it is still his child. One cannot say that Kosovo will fall outside US influence or be rejected, isolated… That is not the case,” Spahiu told Kosovo Online.

He is convinced that “citizens know that Kurti has problems in diplomatic relations,” not only with the US but also with other countries such as Albania, due to “his egocentrism,” and that parliamentary election results bear this out.

“But this was also reflected in the recent elections on February 9, when his standing fell by almost ten percent. This does, to some extent, affect voters in Kosovo,” Spahiu stressed.

Controversies and associations

Dimitrije Milic, Program Director of the “New Third Way” organization, says that Osmani’s and Kurti’s “American tour” should be viewed as protocol-driven.

He notes, however, that while in the US, Osmani appeared more independent of Kurti’s policies.

“I would say Osmani seems more independent of Kurti’s policy, given that Kurti’s government, with its approach, largely led to a form of political isolation by Western states. Osmani is therefore less controversial, and Western leaders are less likely to associate those policies with her — primarily due to the office she holds, as opposed to the head of the executive branch, who bears the greatest responsibility and thus the greatest responsibility for negative policy outcomes,” Milic explained to Kosovo Online.

Commenting on Osmani’s meeting with Trump and her subsequent statement that she had important conversations in New York in Kosovo’s interest, Milic says it was a protocol encounter from which the photograph arose.

“Given the large number of leaders at the specific event, if we look at the time the US President could devote to each individual leader, it is very small. I would say that in this case the encounter was protocol-driven; however, from the perspective of the Pristina government it is certainly very important to appear at international events and meet world leaders, because that sends a message that they are recognized by certain relevant states,” Milic noted.

He emphasizes that due to the “history of the 1990s” and the “political investment in the Kosovo issue,” most Kosovo leaders can expect a “relatively decent reception” in the US.

“The question is how to exit the current position of the Kosovo government, which entails doubts among Western actors because of various escalatory measures that have sparked crises,” Milic specified.

As a second important issue, he underscores the problem of small states that are not internationally recognized.

“There is always the problem that they must fight for relevance in today’s world. When there are many crises and many problematic zones, the greatest risk for them is to become irrelevant; in other words, the greatest problem for the Pristina government would be to become politically invisible to the US,” Milic said.

He notes that this risk exists because of the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, as well as the US “Pacific issues” regarding China.

“In competition with those topics, it is not always easy to impose oneself as relevant. That is perhaps the biggest challenge, which is objective and not necessarily tied to the actions of specific governments; nevertheless, the actions of the previous (Kosovo) government did contribute to it being more isolated and less politically recognized by Western leaders,” the analyst believes.

Asked how shaken Kosovo’s international position is, Milic stresses that the greatest risk for Pristina is to become “less relevant” to the states that have recognized it and to fail to impose itself as an “important topic.”

“In the event it becomes a less relevant topic — if other issues such as the war in Gaza, the war in Ukraine, or America’s Pacific confrontation with China come to the fore — then the Kosovo question cannot rise high on the agenda, and Western officials cannot focus too much on it, so they cannot provide much support. Apart from that element, which concerns the objective relevance of the topic in the current context of world affairs, the second element is the previous policy of Kurti’s government, which was indeed a burden for Western states when discussing the stability of our region. That second element affected Kosovo’s reputation and stability,” Milic concludes.