Montgomery: If Trump wins, he and his people will be tougher on Kurti

Former U.S. Ambassador to Belgrade, William Montgomery, said that this year's U.S. presidential election will be the most important of his lifetime, as it will have a tremendous impact on America's future.

In an interview with Euronews, Montgomery also discussed the potential impact of the U.S. election outcome on Serbia.

He stated that these elections are crucial because America is facing significant problems. According to him, there are now "two Americas."

"The parties differ on so many issues. There used to be a group of centrist politicians who would negotiate and reach compromises. Today, that's no longer the case. There's a huge divide between the two parties on numerous issues, making it unlikely that anything will be resolved. Don't forget, it's not just about electing a president. All representatives in Congress are up for election. One-third of the senators are also being elected. As a result, this will have a huge impact on America's future," Montgomery said.

He added that the issue is not only whether Kamala Harris will be elected but also whether she will continue the policies pursued under Biden.

"The problem lies entirely with the Republicans and Trump. He has said some terrible things about what he might do if he becomes president, so it's unpredictable what he will actually accomplish. But some of those things could be disastrous for America and the world," the former ambassador said.

Regarding comparisons between Trump and Hitler and other harsh criticisms, Montgomery noted that this would harm America.

"In reality, however, most people in the U.S. have already decided whom they will support. Those who support Trump have sincerely made him into a cult figure. He can say whatever he wants, and his supporters, much like members of a sect, will accept it, even though many of us find his statements horrifying," he added.

When asked about the impact of the U.S. elections on Serbia, Montgomery said that if Harris wins, U.S. policy toward Serbia will remain the same.

"She is by no means anti-Serbian. I think we have very good relations with Serbia and the Serbian government," he said.

Speaking on the issue of Kosovo, Montgomery stated that, in his view, what Albin Kurti is doing is a slow form of ethnic cleansing.

"If Trump comes to power, he and his people will take a tougher stance on Kurti. That is the benefit Serbia will gain from that. Whether it will extend to other issues, I don't know. I think there will be a greater tendency toward investment if Trump is in power. That's happening now, and it will continue," Montgomery said.

Regarding the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, he said that the main issue lies with the EU, which has not been aggressive enough.

"You now have a Croatian, Picula, as the rapporteur. That's a disgrace, and I think that shouldn't have been allowed. But in any case, the EU is extremely important for you, and I don't think the U.S. will try to impose a different dialogue than the one currently in place," the former U.S. diplomat said.

When asked about Serbia's relations with China and Russia, Montgomery said that Aleksandar Vučić has done a good job in a difficult situation.

"He's trying to practically recreate Tito's model, which is to have friends on all sides, including China, Russia, the EU, and the U.S. Of course, that's an extremely difficult task. I think he's done it successfully, and that will continue," he pointed out.