Trump may take hardline approach on Kosovo-Serbia deal

Kosovo may face a new approach from U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the normalization of relations with Serbia, say former Kosovar diplomats, CE Report quotes Kosova Press.

According to them, Kosovo could be presented with a fait accompli by a White House decision, leaving little room for negotiation or opposition, similar to the approach taken with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in relation to Russia's military aggression in his country.

High-level delegations from the U.S. and Russia met on February 18 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to discuss the war in Ukraine, without the participation of the official Kyiv government.

Former Kosovo ambassador to Italy, Alma Lama, told KosovaPress that the Trump administration might pursue a policy based on pragmatic results and successful agreements between Kosovo and Serbia.

Since the beginning of the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue in 2011, the United States has only been a supporter of the process, which is mediated by the European Union.
During Donald Trump's first administration, Kosovo and Serbia reached an economic normalization agreement in Washington in 2020.

The former diplomat stated that Kosovo has missed many opportunities over the years for a resolution with Serbia, and therefore, President Trump may propose a "take it or leave it" deal.

On the other hand, former diplomat Blerim Canaj said that President Trump might push for a rapid agreement between Kosovo and Serbia.

Recently, U.S. President Donald Trump congratulated Kosovo on its 17th anniversary of independence, highlighting the deepening of bilateral cooperation between the two countries. However, unlike in the past, he did not emphasize the need for normalization with Serbia or the implementation of obligations from that process.

Regarding this, former diplomat Alma Lama said that Trump’s message was more focused on economic cooperation than on the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue.

Kosovo and Serbia, under EU mediation, reached the Basic Agreement in Brussels and the implementation annex in Ohrid, North Macedonia, in 2023, but its implementation has yet to begin.