When Donald Trump designated Richard Grenell as his special envoy for various initiatives last December, he indicated that Grenell would focus on some of the world’s most critical issues, including Venezuela and North Korea. Journalist Michael Martens highlights this in an article for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, noting that Grenell has pivoted to include Kosovo in this list of critical matters by meddling directly in the election campaign in Kosovo prior to the parliamentary elections on February 9.

The author recalls Grenell’s announcement on the X platform on February 3, stating that the Trump administration planned to engage more actively in the Balkans. He emphasizes the need for Washington to have trustworthy partners, suggesting that the government of Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and his Self-Determination party do not meet this criterion, according to Grenell.

“The Kurti government proved unreliable during both Trump’s and Biden’s administrations,” Grenell remarked, as cited by the Frankfurt newspaper.

The author notes that in January, Grenell accused Kurti of jeopardizing Kosovo-US relations, claiming Kurti consistently opposed American initiatives, a stance held since the Kosovo war in 1999. Leading up to Sunday’s elections, Grenell cautioned Kosovo Albanians: “Don’t be deceived,” reports the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

Attuned to American Perspectives

Grenell’s message targets the audience in Kosovo, as the author explains, highlighting that this audience is more receptive to American influences than the public in many other regions: “The general sentiment in Kosovo has been pro-American since before liberation from Serbian control in 1999 for clear reasons: without American leadership, NATO would not have conducted airstrikes on Serbia at that time. Without the US, Serbian military and police forces, along with paramilitary units, would not have been compelled to withdraw in June 1999 from territories previously seized in 1912. Furthermore, without the US, Kosovo’s declaration of independence in 2008 would likely not have occurred. Numerous countries, including most democracies, would not have recognized this independence. Israel was the latest country to extend recognition to Kosovo—prompted by Trump’s intervention,” the Frankfurt newspaper elaborates.

Given the US’s significant role in Kosovo, Grenell’s warning against Kurti will likely fuel extensive debate within Kosovo, the author suggests. “It remains uncertain whether Grenell’s concerns will yield the desired influence. Prior to the last parliamentary elections in February 2021, Grenell publicly opposed Kurti, yet Kurti’s Samovedenostje party achieved a record victory of over fifty percent of the vote. The party’s aim is to replicate that success once again.”

Open Defiance of Washington

Poll results indicate that Kurti’s party may once again emerge as the strongest, the article indicates, although an absolute majority is not assured: “Should he be compelled to form a coalition or if the opposition gains power, Grenell would accomplish his goal: Kurti could find himself in opposition or at least in a coalition role. Kurti’s first government, established in February 2020, collapsed after merely two months, partly due to Grenell’s significant pressure on Kurti’s coalition allies to exit the partnership, a situation that occurred.”

Furthermore, during Trump’s initial term, Grenell not only served as the US ambassador to Berlin but also as a special envoy for “peace negotiations” between Kosovo and Serbia: “In a rushed process, Grenell sought to establish a ‘historic agreement’ between Belgrade and Pristina that would enable his superior to be seen as the architect of a monumental deal. However, Kurti dismissed Grenell’s proposals as incoherent and superficial, a view echoed not only in Pristina but beyond.”

This open defiance of Washington is unprecedented for a prime minister in Pristina, the author concludes, stating: “Now, five years later, the dynamics remain unchanged. Grenell seeks to impose a compliant leader in Kosovo; however, Kurti has consistently resisted this expectation. This Sunday, the electorate in Kosovo will have the ultimate say.”

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