The return of Trump to the United States presidency raises legitimate concerns for both the European Union and the Balkans. These concerns primarily revolve around national dynamics, economic implications, and the solidification of nationalist attitudes and inter-political combustion within the Balkan states It is presumptuous to state with absolute certainty what policy Trump might pursue…

Kosovo Prime Minister Kurti’s consistent efforts to assert Kosovo’s sovereignty over the predominantly ethnic Serb municipalities do not bolster Kosovo’s independence. Instead, Kurti’s misplaced efforts only strain EU-Kosovo ties while exposing his lack of confidence in Kosovo’s sovereign resiliency Kosovo Prime Minister Kurti’s decision to close five parallel institutions for the predominantly ethnic Serbians in…

The conflict between Kosovo and Serbia can only end when both sides agree to recognize the other. The question is how to resolve their conflicting issues, chief among them Serbia’s categorical refusal to recognize Kosovo’s independence The US Ambassador to Kosovo, Jeffrey Havener, recently stated that “The conclusion of this process [the dialogue between Kosovo…

Prime Minister Kurti, who needs to maintain public calm, should not casually talk about a potential war against Serbia. This only heightens internal tension in Kosovo when there is no reason to assume that war will break out A couple of months ago, in an interview with Al Jazeera, Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti claimed…

It is doubtful that Kosovo’s Prime Minister Kurti and Serbia’s President Vucic will agree on anything unless the European Council changes the dynamic of the Serbia-Kosovo conflict by rewarding the side that cooperates, which would pressure the non-cooperative party to modify its position Since Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia nearly 15 years ago, the…

It’s time for the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo to come to their senses and accept certain realities that neither can change. They are stuck and should recognize that their conflict will end only through mutual understanding of each other’s aspirations and respect for their sovereignty and territorial integrity I condemn in the strongest terms…

Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti is still wallowing in his obsession with Serbia and seems to never understand that Kosovo’s independence, security, and well-being do not depend on what Serbia’s President Vucic says or does but only on the commitments of the EU and the US to safeguard Kosovo’s security and independence It is baffling…

Prime Minister Kurti was elected on the premise that he would attend to Kosovo’s socio-economic malaise, lift its people from ashes of the war, give them hope, and restore their dignity. Sadly, more than two years later Kurti has little to show for his promises. Over the past two years I have written several opinion…

It is naïve to assume that given the current geopolitical conditions in the Balkans and the psychological dimension of the conflict between Kosovo and Serbia that a resolution to their conflict can be found unless the EU and the US develop a clearly articulated cost-and-benefit strategy cushioned by a realistic process of reconciliation The recent…