Shea: The State Department disappointed with Kurti and his actions in northern Kosovo
Former NATO spokesperson Jamie Shea stated that the State Department is disappointed with Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti and his actions in northern Kosovo over the past two years.
In an interview with Gazeta Blic, Shea expressed his belief that a potential change in the U.S. administration would not significantly impact the progress of Kosovo-Serbia relations. He explained that the success of the dialogue largely depends on the "willingness of Kurti and Vucic to take action" and that no amount of pressure or U.S. diplomacy would "move them if they are not willing to move themselves."
He illustrated this by pointing to the "growing disappointment within the State Department regarding Kurti and his actions in northern Kosovo over the past two years."
Shea also noted that the Western Balkans is not a priority for the U.S., given the conflicts and tensions in the Middle East, Ukraine, and the Indo-Pacific.
He stated that Washington has long looked to Europeans, expecting them to address Western Balkan issues through the EU expansion process. He observed that, though Trump likes to present himself as a "good peacemaker" capable of resolving diplomatic issues others could not, the U.S. has mostly expected Europe to take the lead.
Shea also mentioned that a key task would be to convince Washington to maintain U.S. participation in KFOR.
He advised Kosovo to restore its trust-based relationship with the United States, which has recently been strained.
Shea highlighted that U.S. Ambassador Christopher Hill succeeded in improving U.S.-Serbia relations in Belgrade, pointing out that Serbia's president chose not to attend the BRICS Summit in Kazan.
According to Shea, closer U.S.-Serbia relations could also help Kosovo reach an agreement with Belgrade if Kurti is willing to implement prior agreements and contribute to reviving the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue.
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