Vladisavljev: No new US ambassador in Pristina because Washington is still defining its policy toward the Western Balkans

Stefan Vladisavljev, Program Coordinator at the BFPE Foundation for a Responsible Society, stated for Kosovo Online that there are two main reasons why a new US ambassador has not been appointed in Pristina for an extended period. However, he believes the primary reason is that Washington is still trying to define its policy toward the Western Balkans and to determine strategically the direction in which its policies in the region will be implemented.

“The political uncertainty within Kosovo is also a relevant factor in the selection of a future ambassador. In other words, it is important to see who the political actors in Pristina will be, so that an appropriate person can be appointed to represent Washington’s interests in that context. So, several unknowns are shaping a situation in which there has been no US ambassador in Pristina for months, and likely won’t be for several more months,” Vladisavljev said.

When asked whether we should expect a career diplomat to be sent to Pristina, or if the future ambassador might be a political appointee, similar to how US President Donald Trump made appointments for Belgrade and other capitals, Vladisavljev said that Trump will send someone who will best represent his interests.

“And in order to send someone who will best represent his interests, those interests first need to be defined, which the State Department, or the administration, has not yet done. That person could be a career diplomat familiar with developments in the region, or it could be someone entirely outside the diplomatic world, a political figure, with or without a background. At this moment, Washington has not yet defined its interests, and therefore has not decided who will implement them,” Vladisavljev pointed out, also noting that the entire process of appointing and installing an ambassador can often take quite a long time.