Kupchan: The muscle appearance before Washington, Kurt's short - lived, dangerous game

Charles Kupchan, professor at Georgetown University, says Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti is putting domestic political interests ahead of national interests.

“The rise against Washington, muscle display and the account of some autonomy seem to help Kurt to gain popularity. I see this as a short play. It may be politically useful in the short term, but it is dangerous in the long run”, Kupchan told the Free Radio Expos programme.

The former director of European affairs at the US National Security Council disagrees with Kurti that relations with the US are good despite disagreements on certain issues. Kupchan says US relations with the Government of Kosovo are at the lowest level ever.

Washington and Washington partners in Europe are uncomfortable with the most confrontational turn Prime Minister Kurti has taken when it comes to relations between Kosovo and Serbia. It has been a long period, when Serbia is seen as a problem, when Serbia has hampered improving economic and political relations. But Kurt changed it. We now have more criticism directed at Pristina than against Belgrade”, says Cupchan.

For him, there's an explanation: In Kosovo, on February 9th, parliamentary elections will be held, and Kurti plays nationalist card.

“Looking almost every other country in the world that nationalism works well, Kurt shuts down Serb parallel institutions, installs Albanian mayors in Serb majority municipalities, changes the rules of ID cards or car license plates...”.

“As a sovereign state, Kosovo has absolutely the right to do these things, but I don't find any smart steps, if the final goal is taken into account, which is normalising relations with Serbia and opening the way for Kosovo's full integration into the Atlantic institutions”, says Cupchan.

For Kuphan, Kosovo's long-term state success lies in its ability to navigate foreign relations carefully, especially with powerful allies like the United States. The unilateral steps are a problem, according to him.

It could happen that after the elections, Kurti would assume that there would be another approach, because the elections would be behind him and it would become easier for him to embrace a more cooperative and less confrontational position”, says Cupchan.