Krstic: By calling for US involvement in drafting the CSM statute, Pristina is attempting to bypass agreements

Milan Krstic, a lecturer at the Faculty of Political Sciences, has stated to Kosovo Online that by Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani's call for the United States to participate in drafting the draft statute of the Community of Serb Municipalities, Pristina was attempting to attribute the initiation of this matter to cooperation, with the calculation that Washington might support a version of the CSM that deviated from the 2013 and 2015 agreements.

Krstic does acknowledge that the involvement of the United States in the negotiations between Serbia and Kosovo would be desirable for Belgrade at this moment.

"In other words, the US should become involved in the negotiating process at a higher level. However, if such a message or call comes from Osmani, it reflects a perception that Pristina might receive a more flexible stance from Washington regarding what the Community of Serb Municipalities should be, compared to what it receives from Brussels," Krstic believes.

He points out that clear and unambiguous messages have come from Brussels that the CSM must be established in accordance with the 2013 and 2015 agreements.

"I believe that the Americans will take the same position, but it should be noted that within the somewhat more complex and heterogeneous US administration, there are different views on this issue. Osmani and other officials in Pristina hope that, at this moment, due to all these events, they might get the green light to initiate the establishment of the CSM, which in reality would not be what the initial idea was, and they could present it as if they had made a concession on their part," Krstic says.

He adds that this is likely why Pristina insists on a greater role for the United States.

"However, I repeat, this does not mean that the United States would actually take such a position. I believe there are plenty of indications that it would align with the EU, which makes it clear that the CSM must be established in accordance with the 2013 and 2015 agreements, as Derek Chollet, Gabriel Escobar, and other officials have repeatedly stated, so I believe they will continue to hold that line," Krstic concluded.