Grenell: Kurti is the problem in the dialogue; before Thaci went to The Hague, we were on a good path to reach an agreement

Kurti is the problem in the dialogue because he doesn't respect previous agreements, including the Community of Serb Municipalities. On June 3, he crossed the red line set by the EU and the Biden administration, and he did so without consequences, Richard Grenell, former Special Envoy of Donald Trump, says in an interview with Kosovo Online.

Grenell also states that Hashim Thaci, who is currently on trial for war crimes at the Specialist Chambers in The Hague, would have respected previous agreements, unlike Kurti.

"I think we were on a good path to reach an agreement between Kosovo and Serbia when Thaci was the Kosovo President. Such agreements are never easy; both sides must be willing to make tough decisions and move forward. The decisions are not political but economic, and I was very clear when I was President Trump's envoy. I'm not someone with a family that suffered or was affected by the Balkan wars; I wasn't here, and I have no emotions related to that war. I understand people who criticize me as insensitive or not understanding. All of that is clear. But I would say to the people of Kosovo, Albanian friends, and friends from Serbia that it's good to have someone from the outside, a third party, to help see things. The goal during the Trump administration was always to build the economy, to prevent young people from leaving here, to build their lives here, and for the private sector to come in and create jobs for them. I think we were on that path," Grenell says.

Jack Smith was the prosecutor against Trump, and before that, he was the Chief Prosecutor in The Hague when an indictment was filed against Thaci. How do you see that?

There's no doubt that this process against Thaci was political. We were negotiating at the White House, and both sides had agreed to bring all of the court cases to their home countries, not to have an international court because, after 25 years of investigations, there were no indictments. Then, Jack Smith decided to take matters into his own hands. The indictment against Thaci and what was presented to the court was not the same. Smith's hatred for Trump was real, and he was trying to prevent Trump from winning.

Kurti has crossed the red line so many times without consequences, and now there is a fear that after the events in Banjska, the international community will allow him to do whatever he wants. What is your take on that?

I think the international community needs to enforce what was requested on June 3; it's very clear. I have been very clear that I think Mr. Kurti has not been helpful, and he has been criticized by both Republicans and Democrats, NATO, and the EU. On June 3, he crossed the red line, and there were no consequences. The credibility of the US and the EU is on the line because of that.

How to make Kurti respect what was agreed upon on June 3?

More pressure from the international community is needed on Kurti.

Who is the problem in the dialogue – the EU, the President of Serbia, or the Prime Minister of Kosovo?

Right now, the problem is with Mr. Kurti because he is not abiding by past agreements. Mr. Thaci, I believe, would have abided by these agreements.

During a recent press conference in Pristina, Jens Plotner, advisor to the German Chancellor, suggested to EU Special Envoy Miroslav Lajcak how to respond to one of the questions. Does that surprise you?

I didn't see that, but I'm not surprised. You know, we've had issues with the EU talking only about politics, not economics. They don't stick to the statements they make, and in that way, the EU is undermining its credibility.

You've been warning for months that there would be an escalation, what is your view now?

You see, I believe in this region and the people in this region. I will work hard to prevent conflict. We all need to work hard to calm the situation down, and I think that we need more American leadership to be able to do that.

If Trump wins a second presidential term, do you believe he could bring Belgrade and Pristina to an agreement?

I would say I'm working hard for Trump to become president again. We wouldn't have had a war in Ukraine, the Middle East, or a conflict in the Balkans if Trump were still the president, and I believe he would concentrate on all these issues right away in his second term.