Serwer hits out at Trump and Grenell: Territorial exchange a danger for Kosovo
Express newspaper
19/06/2025 20:19
American professor of international relations at Johns Hopkins University, Daniel Serwer, has sharply criticized former US President Donald Trump’s claims that he had prevented the outbreak of a war between Kosovo and Serbia.
In an article published on Sunday on the “Truth Social” platform, Trump claimed to have prevented an armed conflict between the two countries during his term.
But Serwer calls this statement untrue and warns that Trump’s involvement in Balkan affairs could bring even more serious consequences.
“Any effort he makes now could cause even more damage, due to his inclination towards the division of Kosovo,” Serwer writes.
According to him, the Balkans are in turmoil precisely because Trump has mentioned the region and, according to the scenarios being considered in the former American president’s circle, an agreement for a territorial exchange between Kosovo and Serbia could be offered.
“His Balkans whisperer, Ric Grenell, thinks this is a great idea. He would offer it as a territorial swap. The Serb-majority north of Kosovo would go to Serbia, and the Albanian-majority municipalities in southern Serbia would go to Kosovo. Sounds nice, especially if you’re an ethnic nationalist. Trump and Grenell are committed ethnic nationalists of the white supremacist variety,” Serwer writes.
But, according to him, this plan is not acceptable even for Serbia.
“They prefer to keep all of southern Serbia, where a key route to Thessaloniki and the Mediterranean passes. That’s why Belgrade is doing its best to remove Albanians from there,” Serwer emphasizes.
He warns that Kosovo should not enter into any discussion about territorial exchange.
“Prime Minister Kurti, or his successor, would do well not to allow any discussion of exchange on the agenda,” advises Serwer.
The American professor says that currently even a US president with full capacity would find it difficult to deal with the Balkans, while a president like Trump, according to him, is incapable of offering solutions.
“A perverted president like Trump can do nothing but take credit for things he didn’t do and promise more. But he is failing everywhere: Gaza, Iran, Ukraine, and trade are all in chaos,” he writes.
In this context, Serwer calls on the parties in the Balkans not to seek help from figures like Trump or Grenell.
“Neither Serbia nor Kosovo needs help from people like Ric Grenell or Donald Trump,” he emphasizes.
Serwer also expresses skepticism about the political dialogue conducted so far under the mediation of the EU, describing it as unsuccessful.
“All the political dialogue since 2013 has produced little or no results. The technical dialogue that preceded this effort has produced much more: a telephone code for Kosovo, mutual recognition of documents, regulation of electricity payments, and integrated border control – these have been real achievements for citizens,” Serwer writes.
According to him, Belgrade must find a way to restart the EU membership process, which includes implementing the agreement reached in 2023, which Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has refused to sign.
Finally, Serwer demands that the EU also accelerate the lifting of sanctions against Kosovo.
“Kosovo is still suffering under unjustified EU sanctions for actions that no one remembers. Brussels has started the process of lifting them and should complete it as soon as possible,” he concludes./Telegraph