Kurti also refused to respect the 2013 agreement with Serbia, allowing the majority of Serbia municipalities in Kosovo to form an autonomous education, healthcare and economic association, February 1 “We don’t say “yes, our government… yes,” he said at political rally. Association.
Kurti defends these hardline policies as a need for in-laws, but the EU suspended financial aid to Kosovo in June 2023. Kosovo’s EU membership applications are also stagnating, with five member states not yet aware of independence.
Meanwhile, Pristina hasn’t gotten much better in US President Donald Trump’s second administration.
Since 1999, USAID, the Washington government’s development arm, has invested in over $1 billion in Kosovo, but Trump’s recent decision is to freeze foreign aid for three months.
Even if the aid is updated, Kurti clearly has a political fence to repair in Washington.
During Trump’s first term, Richard Grenell, who served as the envoy for peace negotiations between Kosovo and Serbia from 2019 to 2021, has returned as the president’s envoy for the special mission. On February 3, he accused X of “claiming that he is close to the United States” in order to ensure peace for the Balkans who needed a “trustworthy partner.”
“The Kurti government was not trusted during Trump’s first term, or even during Biden’s term,” Grenell wrote. “Both Republicans and Democrats have consistently criticized Kurti for taking unilateral actions that destabilise the region. So is the EU and NATO. The international community unites against Kurti. I’m doing it.”
This story has been updated.
