“Reports with administration have been damaged”, American analysts comment on the situation between Kosovo and the US

Analyst Daniel Serwer, Vice President of the Atlantic Council, Damon Wilson and former State Department official James Hooper, in talks with the Voice of America showed different assessments.

I think the United States was unhappy with Mr. Kurti and supported his fall. Yes”, said Mr. Serwer.

For Damon Wilson from the Atlantic Council, it is the citizens of Kosovo who define the leaders of the government, not the foreign powers.

“Yes, it is true that there was an international pressure and specifically from the United States on Prime Minister Kurti about tariffs to Serbian goods and issues related to Serbia. Try seriously on this level. But, lastly, it is in the hands of parliament and Kosovo citizens to choose their government, choose the functioning coalition, and bring the issues before”, Mr. Wilson said.

James Hooper says that for the American government, the most important issue is an agreement between Kosovo and Serbia, which would end the conflict between them. But, Prime Minister Kurti, he says, opposed the issue and the US government has seen it as an obstacle.

And what happened is that he allowed relations with the United States to be endangered under his leadership. Now he is fragile in the face of accusations and I think they are fair accusations, that he mismanaged relations with the United States. I think there are many things in Kosovo that leaders can or cannot do and can be criticized or not, but as far as I know, relations with America are very important for Kosovo citizens, as I think the situation in Kosovo is important for the American government”, said Mr. Hooper.

But how much has damaged relations between the United States and Kosovo?

I don't think they're seriously damaged yet, in Congress. I think that in Congress there is a consensus on the situation in Kosovo and more tolerance for the situation. I think the administration's pretty damaged and it shouldn't have been. That's the problem I see”, said Mr. Hooper.

The reality is that Kosovo and the United States have special relations. Kosovo exists today as a large independent country because of the United States, because of our leadership, because of our military, because of our diplomacy. We're proud of that. I think Kosovo citizens are proud of this as well”, says Mr. Wilson, deepening that there have been many American officials who were worried that Kosovo has supported itself on the wall with its attitude against 100 per cent tariffs towards Serbia.

I want to say what I told the prime minister last summer. Kosovo should expand its support to the international community. Much depends on the United States and Donald Trump's United States are uncertain. This administration is quite different from past US administrations”, said Mr. Serwer.

Kosovo's incumbent Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, said after his government's collapse that the goal was to remove the obstacle to Kosovo President Hashim Thaci's plan and Serbia's Aleksandar Vucic for exchange of territories. He expressed confidence that there is such a secret plan that was already denied by American diplomats Richard Green, Mathew Palmer and Philip Costnet.

They say there is no secret plan, but Mr. Palmer did not sign that part of the statement, was Mr. Greenell's statement that he did not see such a plan. There is no doubt that this has been discussed between Thaci and Vucic, there is no doubt that Americans and Europeans know about it. Americans have hinted that they would be open to an agreement on exchange of territories, while most Europeans -- specifically Germany, who took the lead -- have expressed themselves against”, Mr. Cerer said.

There's no plan for partition, and it's not something Mr. Vucic and Mr. Thaci talked about. They have talked about new relations between Kosovo and Serbia. And those relationships would have a number of components, one of which included demarcation of borders. It also included Kosovo's membership in the United Nations and the end of the conflict between Kosovo and Serbia”, says Mr. Hooper.

It is not fair to say that the United States has tried to orchestrate the change of the Kosovo government and have secret plans ready for Kosovo and Serbia. It's not right. What is clear is that amid times and difficult challenges such as the pandemic, the United States remains committed to advancing the agreement between Kosovo and Serbia and want to see the progress of negotiations, traditionally addressing the European Union”, says Mr. Wilson

But can an agreement supported by the United States be expected before the American presidential elections?

You can expect an agreement before the U.S. elections if Mr. Haradinaj and Mr. Kurti don't block this. I think a deal's in front of my hands. I think the lines have been dropped and Serbian leaders and Kosovo leaders understand that. Vucic is ready, he will make sure that happens. Kosovo's leaders are not ready yet, they are not willing to do so, and that frustrated Americans”, James Hooper thinks.

Analyst Serwer thinks that “had such potential, but COVID-19's pandemic has reduced the chances of such a thing. We have no room to face all things ahead. Time is running out. The president will soon be in charge of internal issues. I have always thought it was too much to think that the Pristina agreement would attract a lot of attention to the United States, even a ceremony in the rose garden would be a confession for one or two days, but no more”, he says.

I think it is an opportunity for negotiations and an agreement to be brought forward this year. It must be an agreement between Kosovo and Serbia, with the support of the United States and the European Union. Clearly, he has a goal in the United States for progress, but that is not the number one issue. There is an open window before the election season to advance this issue, but it will happen with European partners”, Mr. Wilson said.

But if such a window remains open, observers say, it will depend primarily on the results of confronting the global crisis that has caused Covid-19.