Miskeljin: Trump has no interest in rising tensions or new conflicts in Europe

Marko Miškeljin
Source: Kosovo Online

Marko Miskeljin, a fellow at the Center for Social Stability, assessed that Donald Trump and his new administration are not interested in escalating tensions or potential new conflicts in Europe, however, he believes the Trump administration will place much greater focus on the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina than previous administrations.

“I think it will certainly receive more attention than under previous administrations, depending primarily on the behavior of the actors involved, especially the Pristina administration. The composition of this administration, following the elections expected early next year, will determine the level of commitment from the Trump administration. It is clear that escalating tensions and any potential new conflicts in Europe are not in Donald Trump’s or his Republican administration’s interest, even though we know historically that Republicans have placed greater emphasis on the Middle East and Asia than on Europe,” Miskeljin stated to Kosovo Online.

Miskeljin highlights the future relationship between Washington and Brussels as a critical issue, particularly in light of how key EU member states behaved leading up to the US elections.

“We will see how this cooperation unfolds and in what manner. Fortunately, there are leaders in Europe who maintain good communication with Donald Trump. There is a bloc led by Viktor Orban, who openly supported Trump during the campaign and whose example Trump frequently cited as a model of good governance. This includes Slovak Prime Minister Fico and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. These are leaders who contacted Trump in the early days and will undoubtedly have much better prospects for negotiations and securing benefits for their countries and people, which is an objective for any leader, than other European leaders,” Miskeljin observed.

He cautions against viewing nominations for key State Department positions “through fan lens,” emphasizing that Trump’s cabinet has been planned for years.

“When discussing Trump’s approach to forming his cabinet, it differs significantly from his first term. This is primarily because he now has four years of Washington experience and can better evaluate the kind of personnel he needs. This cabinet was not formed ad hoc, many members were likely chosen years ago, especially figures like Suzy Weiss, who will play an operational role in his administration,” Miskeljin explained.

He also notes that the US president is directly responsible not only for appointing cabinet members and key advisors but also for appointing approximately 10,000 federal officials.

“When it comes to the most important positions, especially those of interest to Serbian citizens, much attention was on Richard Grenell, with speculation he might be National Security Advisor or Secretary of State. However, it is important to remember that while this region is of utmost importance to us, it is not currently a top priority for the US,” Miskeljin emphasized.

Commenting on the current nominations and the fact that some candidates include politicians who have been sympathetic to Pristina and critical of Belgrade, such as Matthew Whitaker or Marco Rubio, the analyst says that Serbia should not spend too much time dwelling on this. Instead, he suggested that the only ones who should truly reflect seriously on the situation are Pristina’s representatives, due to their open support for Trump’s opponent, Kamala Harris.

“The fact that someone may have, in their youth or earlier political career, held views closer to Pristina than Belgrade, or because certain photos have surfaced, is not something we should spend too much time on. I think Serbia’s diplomacy, led by President Aleksandar Vucic and a fully capable diplomatic corps, should simply continue to build and deepen cooperation with the US and not pay too much attention to such trivial matters or images involving people from this region. A much greater impact could come from Albin Kurti’s selfie with Kamala Harris during the Democratic Convention than from any photo of a CIA director or any other individual, which could very likely be taken out of context,” Miskeljin observed.

Miskeljin points out that Serbian media largely overlooked Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination as the new Director of National Intelligence.

“What many missed is Tulsi Gabbard’s stance on interventions, particularly the bombing of Yugoslavia, and her overall position on the events of the 1990s. Her views align much more closely with those of Belgrade than with those of Pristina or the broader region,” Miskeljin said.

He explains that part of the Serbian public’s disappointment stems from an unrealistic view of the situation.

“With most global events that interest our public, we often shift between extreme euphoria and extreme disappointment. The same is true following Donald Trump’s victory. However, it is essential to evaluate the entire situation objectively,” Miskeljin concluded.