Kurti: Grenell’s opposition to me as Prime Minister and politician has lasted for five years

Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti stated that the criticism from U.S. presidential envoy for special missions, Richard Grenell, has been ongoing since 2020 and did not start or stop during the campaign, Reporteri reports.

In an interview given at the Munich Security Conference, Kurti commented on the criticism directed at him by Trump’s special envoy for missions, Richard Grenell, just a week before the February 9 elections.

"As for Envoy Grenell, he has been very openly against me since 2020. His opposition to me as a politician and prime minister did not begin during the campaign; it has been continuous for these five years, and it did not stop during the campaign. However, we consider the U.S. our undisputed ally, friend, and special partner," Kurti said.

In this interview, Kurti was also asked about Donald Trump’s initiative for urgent negotiations with Vladimir Putin for peace in Ukraine and whether that could indicate what awaits Kosovo.

When asked if he fears that Trump might revive the plan for territorial exchange with Serbia, Kurti said he cannot predict anything but added that the Western Balkans is not a main priority for Trump.

"It is difficult to predict, but my impression is that President Trump is trying to mediate an agreement between Ukraine and Russia because he has a higher priority, which is China. This has little to do with the Balkans, where six countries together have a population similar to that of the Netherlands. The attention he is giving to Russian aggression in Ukraine, I believe, is linked to his absolute priority in international politics—how the U.S. will contain China's rise in the 21st century, which has little to do with the Balkans," Kurti said.