Raseta: Trump believes the Western Balkans should be economically linked with the US

In the new US National Security Strategy, the status quo regarding the Western Balkans has been maintained because US President Donald Trump believes that this region, in which America does not have much of its own footprint or investment, should be economically linked with the United States so that it can advance its interests, Dragoslav Raseta from the organization New Third Way assesses.

As Raseta points out, America is seeking in this document to deepen its relations with countries in Eastern, Central, and Southeastern Europe through commercial and political cooperation.

"Trump also says that the perception of NATO as an alliance in constant expansion should stop, so regarding further Euro–Atlantic integration, that role has been left to the European Union. I think it is expected that the further process of dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina will be led by Brussels, while the United States will provide support as it has done before. The difference that remains compared to earlier is that the Americans are somewhat more focused on pragmatism and the situation on the ground, while the Europeans, with their own backyard in mind, want a more lasting solution and a lasting mechanism that can lead to closer ties between Belgrade and Pristina. But one thing is what is written in such a document, and another is what can actually be implemented," Raseta tells Kosovo Online.

These days, he adds, the potential withdrawal of American troops from Europe has been blocked by Congress, which shows that one thing is the White House strategy, and another is what it can implement independently of Congress and the Senate.

Raseta assesses that the concept of the new US National Security Strategy has the personal imprint of Donald Trump, because much is said about it being a continuation of his first term, and that in the meantime America has strayed from its path.

Such an approach, he says, is usually not traditional, because domestic internal politics is normally kept out of these kinds of documents, which is not the case now.

"Immigration has been listed as the first threat to US national security. Also, strong focus is placed on ideological and cultural issues that are presented as highly important for the strategic relations America has with its partners. We saw the paradox of Trump claiming that he can get along with nations that do not share the same values, while on the other hand saying that these differences can cause disagreements between partners, primarily referring to Europe. He mentions that America is a bastion and defender of traditional, Christian values and that one of its aims is the preservation of traditional families, American culture, and the American spirit, while on the other hand categorizing Europe as the homeland of Western civilization and culture that is in decline, which is why it faces numerous political problems and hardships," Raseta notes.

From this, he assesses, it follows that Trump will continue doing what he has done since the beginning of his term, which is supporting the populist right in Europe that is very close to his political line, something that may further affect relations between Europe and America.

In addition, he says, he traditionally focused on increasing defense spending, on the trade deficit in US–EU trade, which Europe should eliminate, but that ideological and cultural issues and disagreements are taking primacy when it comes to Europe.

Raseta explains that a national strategy in general should represent an overview of how the current US administration sees major problems, which states it perceives as hostile or rival, and in that sense there are no major deviations from previous documents from the Biden administration.

"There is still strong focus on the Indo–Pacific, on China as a country that can reach parity with the US and that can most endanger American interests. The exception is the major emphasis on immigration. This should be viewed in the broader context of what currently holds primacy in the White House. Also, this document is in a way written for domestic use, for promoting policies that are intended to be implemented at home," our interlocutor concludes.