Milic: At this moment it is unlikely that Kosovo would be the subject of US–Russia talks

Program Director of the organization New Third Way Dimitrije Milic assessed that at this moment it is unlikely that the issue of Kosovo could become the topic of direct talks between the US and Russia, but that the possibility should not be excluded that Donald Trump might include this issue as part of his peace initiatives, as was recently the case between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

“When it comes to the issue of Kosovo, it is difficult to expect that such a model would be applied, considering that in terms of dialogue, Russia has not been an actor for a long time, since the dialogue has been conducted under the supervision and mediation of the EU and with US involvement on the other side,” Milic told Kosovo Online.

He pointed out that Russia has not been present in the Belgrade–Pristina dialogue since the matter was moved out of the UN framework.

“On this specific issue, Moscow does not have much influence on the reality on the ground, rather, it is the EU and the US. The only question is whether they will work together on this issue, as was the case under Joe Biden’s previous administration, when it coordinated with the EU, or whether they will operate entirely separately, as during Donald Trump’s first term,” Milic said.

He added that it is also questionable how much of a priority Kosovo is for the major powers at this moment.

“Ukraine, the war in Gaza, and domestic issues in both the US and Europe are drawing too much attention, and the current situation does not suggest that the Kosovo issue could rank so high,” he emphasized.

Asked whether Trump’s repeated statements that he had managed to prevent a war between Serbia and Kosovo indicate that he will in fact deal with Western Balkan issues, Milic was skeptical.

“Although Donald Trump has mentioned several times, in statements and rallies, that he prevented a war between the two sides in the Balkans, that does not mean that, alongside all these other global topics, the Kosovo issue will easily find its way onto the American agenda. However, it could appear in the context of some of Trump’s peace initiatives,” Milic specified.

He recalled that the US played a significant role in defining the peace settlement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and that in this context one might expect some initiative for Kosovo as well, but even then it would not include Russia.

“We might expect a direct American initiative from Trump, but it is less likely that it would take the form of talks with Russia on this issue,” Milic concluded.