Hoti: Kurti is still under pressure from the US, it will be the same if Trump wins

Political analyst from Pristina, Afrim Hoti, says that relations between Kosovo and the US are not as they were before, that Prime Minister Albin Kurti is under pressure from the Biden administration, and this will not change even if Donald Trump becomes the new president after the US elections.

"Kurti does not have the full support of the current US leadership, or at least it has not been shown. The fact is that he is not proving to be cooperative or a leader who will stand behind their political views. Due to the obstacles that Kurti has created, relations between Kosovo and the US are not as they used to be, so I do not expect any changes," Hoti tells Kosovo Online.

Regarding Kurti's statement that the "possible return of Donald Trump to the White House worries the leaders of European countries, but also Kosovo," Hoti says that not only Kurti, but all political leaders of NATO member countries are concerned.

"This is due to the position Donald Trump had during his first term, especially concerning NATO obligations and support. Keeping that in mind, all European leaders have expressed their fear that Trump's next term could create some confusion among the major powers, and if the major powers are under such influence, there would certainly be consequences for smaller states, and it is evident that the Prime Minister of Kosovo would also be in a very difficult position along with other leaders of small states. Because if Donald Trump comes to power, the situation will be somewhat unpredictable, as no one will know exactly what the mandate or structure of NATO will be in the future," Hoti explains.

Regarding whether Trump's administration, if he wins, would continue where it left off with the Washington Agreement in terms of relations between Belgrade and Pristina and how much focus Kosovo and the Western Balkans would receive from Washington, Hoti says that this would be of interest to both Kosovo and Serbia.

"Previous agreements will definitely come back to the top of the agenda. Maybe not as they were before, because the circumstances are now different. Earlier, there was no war in Ukraine or between Israel and Hamas, and the global political agenda has changed, so political leadership will follow a new path, but always keeping in mind and maintaining focus on the Western Balkans," Hoti says.