Judah: Balkans at risk if Trump becomes president, Green can make Kosovo more trouble than Putin

Renowned British journalist Tim Judah has talked about the vortex of events happening in the region during 2023, security challenges and “threat” hosting Kosovo in the coming years.

Judah has said it does not expect closure of Kosovo- Serbia during 2024 and has suggested that the main responsibility for finalisation falls on both states.

As for regional security and danger from Russia, Judah says Donald Trump's possible return as president and Richard Green's appointment as Secretary of State are more dangerous. According to British journalist Grenelli could cause Kosovo more problems than Russia's president, Vladimir Putin.

Journalist Judah in the end says Kosovo should worry about economic problems and demographics in 2024 and the years ahead. Judah has said it expects, as in all countries of the region, a rapid contraction of Kosovo's population

Express newspaper: Do you expect the US and the EU to close the dispute between Kosovo and Serbia during 2024?

Tim Judah: No. I also think the main responsibility for closing the issue lies with Kosovo and Serbia.

 Express newspaper: Do you think that during 2024 the US effort to divorce Serbia from Russia will take shape? If so, what will be the effects on other developments in the region?

Tim Judah: I think you're deceiving yourself if you believe that the U.S. is making a lot of effort to make them “divorted” Serbia from Russia. I don't think it'll change anything about that. Today, the main interest of the US is to have Serbia's ammunition flowing into Ukraine and I think that for many in Washington it is far more important than dealing with Kosovo, even if the amount of ammunition is relatively small.

Express newspaper: If Western powers fail to push Kosovo and Serbia towards a final agreement, and if Serbia will continue co-operation with Russia, Dodik's efforts in Bosnia and warnings that Russia wants a second war front in the Balkans, can these developments endanger the entire security structure in Europe?

Tim Judah: I think it's panicking. I think that the Balkans in a year will look pretty much the same as now. A greater risk is if Trump becomes president and makes Richard Green Secretary of State, which is an idea that is currently being circulated in Washington. Green can cause much more problems in Kosovo than Putin, as was the case in the past.

Express newspaper: What are your expectations for 2024 regarding the peace process in the Western Balkan region, the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Could the EU be able beyond internal problems with member states such as Hungary and the internal elections, to find a way forward to close open issues. What's the risk of failure?

Tim Judah: I think the main problem is not the EU or outsiders, it is the lack of political will in the region to compromise and move forward, so I think within a year the region will not have changed much.

Express newspaper: Based on your knowledge of the region, politicians, society in general in the Western Balkans, also counting on global developments, the war in Ukraine, the efforts of Russia and China, which you think is the way ahead for the Balkans not to get back into the dangerous spiral of conflict. Is the introduction of Kosovo into NATO a solution, because we know that the north of Kosovo is a hot spot from which conflicts can start, is it enough to remember September 24th in Banjska?

Tim Judah: The question is not relevant because Kosovo certainly cannot become a NATO member when, as with the EU, there are members who do not. Kosovo is now protected by NATO and that will not change unless Trump's presidency decides otherwise. The biggest challenge for Kosovo in next year and next years is demographics. How many people will leave when you don't need Schengen visas? Also in the years to come, like the rest of the region, you will start to have more deaths than birth each year, so I expect the contraction of Kosovo's population to accelerate dramatically and I think that more time must be spent on addressing these economic problems and demographic issues than concern for the Chinese.