Trump’s letter and Osmani’s game: Diverting public attention and campaigning

A letter from U.S. President Donald Trump, in which he thanked Kosovo for accepting citizens of other countries and offered words of praise, reached the desk of Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani on 5 August. That same day it was published on social media, and again two days later when Osmani responded with her own kind words. According to interlocutors for Kosovo Online, aware of the importance of the alliance with the United States, public perceptions about strained relations with that superpower, and the current political climate in Kosovo, Osmani used Trump’s letter for multiple purposes.

Whether by coincidence or design, Osmani re-published the letter just one day after Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric met in Washington with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio – an event that provoked strong reactions in Kosovo and criticism of Kosovo’s diplomacy.

In her post on the social network X, Osmani emphasized that, alongside Trump, the United States stands strong – and with them, Kosovo – even though support for Trump during the campaign had not always been so steadfast.

In Kosovo, her move was seen as an attempt to divert attention from her decision to withdraw her request to the Constitutional Court for an opinion on the constitution of the Kosovo Assembly just two days before the Court’s final decision. She cited as her reason the appointment of Radomir Laban, a long-serving judge from the Serbian community, as rapporteur in the case.

Analysts noted that only two hours after the press conference announcing her decision, Osmani came out with Trump’s letter. The implied message, they said, was: “America loves me.”

Who was the message intended for, and to what end – the people of Kosovo, for whom the alliance with the United States is “sacred,” or perhaps acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti, whom the Albanian public in Kosovo blames for the deterioration of relations with the U.S.? Could Osmani, through Trump’s letter, present herself to the electorate as a leader capable of building constructive relations with partners should she seek another term as president, while at the same time distancing herself from Kurti? Observers say – a little of all of the above.

A Leader Who Builds Constructive Relations?

Historian Stefan Radojkovic stated that Osmani is as much in campaign mode as Kurti, but with different views on whose support is most important.

“She is campaigning just like Albin Kurti, except they have slightly different strategic decisions about whose support they need. The Albanian public in Kosovo and Metohija knows that Pristina is unsustainable without U.S. support, especially at a time when the U.S. is focused on Ukraine and the Middle East, with strategic competition with China looming on the horizon. In other words, Kosovo will certainly not be a primary or high-priority issue, and in that sense the strained relations between Washington and Pristina are worrying certain groups in Kosovo and Metohija,” Radojkovic told Kosovo Online.

He stressed that Osmani is making an effort to improve relations with the U.S., which is why she highlights her good relationship with Trump.

“In this sense, Vjosa Osmani sees her opportunity – on one hand to try to repair those relations as much as possible, and on the other to present her candidacy as someone who can build constructive relations with all of Pristina’s partners, whether they are the U.S. or EU member states. The U.S., however, is more important, and that’s why Osmani insists on her relations with Trump – because she knows, among other things, that there are people in Trump’s administration who are not inclined towards Albin Kurti, and potentially not toward the Albanian community in Kosovo and Metohija at all,” he said.

According to Radojkovic, showing loyalty to the U.S. and Trump is a “safe card” in the campaign, given that the broader Albanian public clearly understands Kosovo’s need for U.S. support, even though Self-Determination long pursued a policy of self-reliance.

He also believes Osmani will use her ties with the U.S. to distance herself from Kosovo’s caretaker government, should new elections be called and Self-Determination’s support further decline.

Diverting Public Attention and Playing the Game

On the other hand, analyst Bljerim Canaj believes Osmani is using Trump’s letter to distract the public from her recent decisions.

“Osmani has at most another year as president. If we look at the situation today, I don’t believe she’ll have another chance to be president. With this kind of crisis, and what she did in relation to Laban, she wants to use this to change public opinion, so people won’t talk much about what she did with the Court – so this is her game,” Canaj told Kosovo Online.

He added that this is not the first letter from a U.S. president to a Kosovo president, and that the U.S. administration wants good relations with Kosovo. Given that it does not have a good working relationship with Kurti, it must be in contact with Kosovo’s presidency. Therefore, he said, more such letters can be expected.

Advantage in Being Close to Trump

For Petar Donic, of the New Third Way, it is no surprise that Osmani emphasizes good relations with Trump, as it is currently advantageous to be close to him.

Donic told Kosovo Online that personal relationships are important to Trump, and that America is a key ally of Kosovo and an influential factor in its politics.

“The U.S. is a major ally of Kosovo and an influential force globally – especially in Kosovo Albanian politics, which is closely tied to American interests. With his arrival in office, Trump introduced the element of personal politics, where the personal relationship with him and his party matters. So it’s neither surprising nor strange that she takes this approach, as it has been proven to work. Lobbying and getting closer to Trump’s side is advantageous for any party seeking to achieve something, and we saw that things can develop quickly, as in the Armenia–Azerbaijan case, where they reached an agreement relatively quickly. We can expect similar bilateral agreements, with America mediating through Trump, in the future,” Donic said.

He assessed that good relations with Trump and the U.S. would be one of Osmani’s assets should she seek another presidential term. However, he added, as shown by statements from U.S. Special Envoy Richard Grenell, Kosovo would still need to take many steps to improve relations.

“It won’t be enough on its own, but it will certainly be one of the assets. They need to take several steps, as we saw from Grenell’s statement, where there was sharp criticism that Kosovo’s side is not ready for agreements coming from Washington and that things are moving slowly. A good image with Trump won’t be enough by itself – but if they improve other things, that factor will also become very important for improving relations, and perhaps at some point even decisive. It could be the extra weight on the scales that tips the balance,” Donic concluded.