Ukshini: Americans will be the decisive factor in an agreement between Belgrade and Pristina

Former diplomat Silje Ukshini assessed in a statement to Kosovo Online that the United States will play a crucial role in achieving an agreement between Belgrade and Pristina, stating that dialogue and reconciliation are the only path toward stability in the Balkans.

Commenting on the recent State Department report, Ukshini said that American influence is currently more limited, but that Washington has traditionally assumed the leading role whenever it concludes that European mediators are unable to reach a solution.

“American influence is smaller. What is interesting is that Americans always allow the Europeans to take the lead in the first phase. That was the case in Dayton and in Kosovo. When the Americans see that the Europeans cannot succeed, they then take over, like a bulldozer, and move concretely. Europeans are more bureaucratic,” Ukshini said.

He added that, despite skepticism regarding certain aspects of the negotiations, he believes that an agreement between Serbs and Albanians is necessary.

“I know that it is good for the Serbs, for Serbia, and for the Albanians in Kosovo to reach an agreement. War and conflict bring nothing. We have the years 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1999 — what did they contribute? Kosovo’s borders are the same, Serbia’s borders are the same, Croatia’s borders are the same, Slovenia’s borders are the same,” he stated.

Ukshini believes that, for a lasting solution, it would be important for “a politician to emerge in Serbia who is prepared to speak openly about the need for reconciliation.”

“If a De Gaulle were to emerge in Serbia and say that this region has been in conflict for 100 years and that we want to live in peace with Kosovo, that would give Kosovo a chance to affirm itself and extend a hand of reconciliation,” Ukshini said.

He stressed that crimes from the past should not be concealed, but that the future must not be built on hatred.

“There were many crimes, conflicts, suffering, and tears. The future is not built by hiding crimes. It should be acknowledged that these things happened, but we should also engage in ensuring that they are never repeated,” he stated.

Speaking about relations between Serbs and Albanians, Ukshini assessed that Serbs in Kosovo are often “caught between two fires.”

“At times I feel sorry for the Serbs in Kosovo, because they are between two fires. If they cooperate with Albanians, they are on bad terms with Belgrade, and vice versa. Sometimes they cannot even decide for themselves,” he said.