Popescu Zamfir on the continuation of the dialogue: Without the help of the US, Brussels will struggle to steer the negotiations in the right direction

Oana Popescu Zamfir, the founder and director of the GlobalFocus Center, expressed skepticism that the European Union would be able to steer the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina in the right direction without the assistance of the United States.

Popescu said for Kosovo Online that she believed the United States would continue to play a very important role in the Balkans.

"I am skeptical that the EU will be able to steer things in the right direction without the US. And, to be honest, I don't see why they should. Clearly, it is our backyard, and to a large extent, this is a European process, but I think the US, as a security guarantor in the region and a traditionally very important player, should step in at some point. I am sure this is crucial in the context of whether the Balkans, in general, will become more stable or not," Popescu says.

Regarding the dialogue, Popescu believes that the EU has invested a lot in this process.

"I believe that all sides have invested a lot in the process over time, despite all the shortcomings. This happens separately from the US's influence in the region, but I believe that a sustainable solution for the region will come from the mutual cooperation of the US and the EU," she says.

She also points out that it is difficult to say how to proceed with the dialogue at this moment.

"I think the EU, as a mediator, has provided a good framework, but there hasn't been a real willingness on either side to make genuine progress. The EU is just the facilitator; it's up to the two sides to reach an agreement. If they don't want to do that, there is very little that the EU itself can do. Unfortunately, one or the other party, successively, has been using this for their political purposes and has manipulated the dialogue framework in that direction, trying to extract benefits from the EU," Popescu says.

She emphasizes that it is "disappointing that the EU hasn't been able to have more leverage in the dialogue and play a more active role."

"I don't know if maybe we all should consider doing things differently, but at the end of the day, it is up to the two parties to make progress together if they, for instance, see an incentive in potential EU accession," she indicated.